Everything She Isn't, Yet Everything He Needs
by BlueMoon Goddess
Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant, fast. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.
1. Chapter 1

BlueMoon Goddess: I usually don't write other couples within InuYasha and only stick to my favorite and main pairing Inuyasha x Kagome. However after a review from one of my stories, I decided to take a whack at it and start a Sesshomaru x Rin fic. I've read them before and I believe I can get the characters down pack. After all I mention them in my other stories, so I might as well write one for them. So please thank Lori74, since they got me to start a Sesshomaru x Rin fic!

Also Rin is twenty-one years old in this fic and Sesshomaru is going to be the human age of thirty (don't worry he's still a demon, but just for a mental note).

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once Upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant, fast. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feelings for the human woman as well.

* * *

The timing of Sesshomaru's personal and executive assistant was appalling. "What do you mean you cannot travel?"

"I'm very sorry Lord Sesshomaru." Jaken said into the phone. "But the doctor assures me I will be clear after ten days have passed. He suggested I stay in a hotel until I'm no longer contagious, and I wouldn't want you to catch what I have my Lord. Especially with what's going on this week."

"You're fucking kidding me." Sesshomaru said, using his brother's favorite expletive, which seemed appropriate at the moment. "You're contagious for ten days? We leave for Japan tomorrow, and I can't go without my assistant."

"I realize that my Lord, but I'm afraid there's nothing I can do."

Furious, Sesshomaru hung up the phone on his long-serving personal and executive assistant. The little demon had never troubled him before. Jaken had worked for him for the last fifty years, all the way back to when he was an eighteen years old (in human years) who insisted on coming to the United States for his education. His mother had insisted on sending an entourage of servants to join him as befitted of his high status. However, he'd fired all of them except for Jaken. Someone had to pick out his clothes and drive him around, after all. And now, when he needed the little imp the most, he was abandoning him.

Sesshoamru stared at the pile of periodicals on the corner of his paper-strewn desk. There was a copy of Japan Today, which he had imported in and below it, Japan TIME, which had the same damn headline.

COUNTDOWN TO THE WEDDING OF THE CENTURY, it read in big, bold letters. Below there was a picture of the demoness, Akira Soto, of Soto Empires and her fiancé, Lance Salvatore, CEO of Salvatore INC in New York City. Not only was Akira marrying a worthless human, but she was marrying a very well-known one, which meant that both American papers and Japanese ones would be covering it to a ridiculous extent. Simply annoying was what it was.

As the upcoming event was the wedding of a high profiled demoness, it meant every well-known demon had been invited to the wedding and festivities, him included. And while he could get away from most of his titular duties since he lived stateside, he couldn't get away from this. Everyone would be rounded up in Japan to celebrate the heir of Soto Empires wedding, and Sesshomaru fully expected to spend a week utterly despondent, avoiding paparazzi, stopping for photos, which he hated, and generally avoiding whichever eligible demoness his mother threw in his direction.

All of which would be made even worse because Jaken wouldn't be with him. He needed an assistant, and he needed one now. He couldn't keep his own schedule straight, and according to his mother, it wouldn't do for a high status demon like himself to make his own arrangements. If his mother knew that his one and only assistant abandoned him, she'd resume her efforts into pressing him and even send people to help him. And if it was one thing he hated, it was having a whole bunch of people around him who were in his way and slowing him down.

He had to figure out something, and soon. His mother would suspect him the moment she clapped eyes on his tie. If it was even so much as askew, she would not only laugh in his face, but she'd force her hands on him and give him a lecture. It wasn't proper, she'd say. Can't even tie his own tie without any help, she'd say. Wouldn't it be easier if he had a few servants to help, and the next thing he knew, he'd be tripping over people determined to make themselves useful. Then he'd have no peace at all. His loft would be crawling with maids and butlers and . . . he shuddered at the thought.

Something simply had to be done.

* * *

"Sesshomaru, how has business been doing for you?" Inutaisho asked him, as he sat across from him at the dining room table.

Sesshomaru took a bite of his sirloin steak before replying. "Our stock went up by twenty percent this morning, so that should be your answer."

It was their weekly family dinner that he wished he didn't have to attend. Since his father, Inutaisho married that human woman Izayoi, she had wanted a day when everyone wasn't too busy and have a day where they can all be together as a family. He wasn't too keen on the fact that his powerful father was married to a worthless human, but Sesshomaru has been cordial to his stepmother and his half-brother. Though tonight, Izayoi had an event she couldn't get away from and it was just going to be him, Inutaisho and Inuyasha…if his half-witted younger brother would show up that is.

"Where is Inuyasha? He was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago, and I still have to prepare for tomorrow." Sesshomaru said. He was already not in the mood to attend this thing, least of all his brother could be here on time.

"Kagome had called earlier and said that they were on their way." Inutaisho replied, taking a sip of his imported Sake.

"That woman is coming?" Sesshomaru said in mild surprise. He thought it was just going to be the three of them, he didn't expect his brother's fiancée to attend this dinner as well.

"That woman has a name and is going to be your sister-in-law." Inutaisho said with a slight glare. "And this time try and engage in conversation with her. Just because you do not care for humans, does not mean you can be cold towards her."

It wasn't as though Sesshomaru didn't like Kagome, even if she was a human. He could say that she was one of the only humans he actually respected and tolerated. Though he did get annoyed whenever she referred to him as "big brother."

The front door was heard slamming shut, and a few seconds later Inuyasha and Kagome both strolled in.

"Hi, sorry we're late." Kagome said, walking over to give Inutaiso a hug.

"It is no problem at all Kagome." Inutaisho said smiling, standing up to receive the hug from his future daughter-in-law. "You look absolutely stunning this evening. And I will attribute that to my grandchild in there." He replied, the last sentence happily.

Kagome rubbed her slightly rounded belly. "Yes this little one is keeping me on my toes. Might even have a future martial artist with the way they've been kicking." She moved to sit down until Inuyasha came and helped her into her seat, with her giving him a little peck on the lips before he sat right beside her.

Sesshomaru gave a small shake of his head. Good gracious. His brother used to be an arrogant playboy and the moment he met and fell in love with Kagome, all of a sudden he was acting like a love struck fool. It became even worse when he found out she was pregnant. The damn hanyou was at her beck in call getting her whatever she needed like the dog he was. Well his brother could act like that all he wanted, but Sesshomaru vowed that he'd never let that happen to himself. And with his busy schedule and life, he wouldn't find the time or need to ever. He didn't need a wife or children of his own. He was fine being the only person to take care of in his life.

Inuyasha looked over at Sesshomaru. "Well don't you look like a ray of sunshine."

Sesshomaru rubbed at his face. "Oh yes, I'm having a wonderful time, thank you for asking."

Inuyasha grunted. "That's an understatement. You look more unemotional than usual."

"Inuyasha, you shouldn't speak that way towards your brother." Kagome said in Sesshomaru's defensive.

"Is everything all right?" Inutaisho asked. "Anything I can help you with son?"

"Not unless you have a spare assistant." He said. He put his fork and knife down, all traces of his appetite gone. "Jaken is ill and will not be available to travel for at least another week, and I fly to Japan tomorrow night for Akira Soto's wedding."

"I totally forgot her wedding was this weekend. I hope you have a great time, since we won't make it." Kagome said.

The entire family was invited to go, however with Kagome feeling nauseas and unable to fly and Inuyasha not leaving her side, they were not attending. And as for Inutaisho and Izayoi, they had a charity event that was planned months before the wedding was to take place and they couldn't back out of it. So that left with Sesshomaru being the only one attending the wedding.

"Fun is an understatement."

"Akira's wedding is a huge deal! Especially since she's well known in demon society and among a few humans." Kagome said. "It's wonderful that you're going."

"Feh, except that Sesshomaru is the most antisocial one in the family." Inuyasha stated, taking a bite out of his food, that he filled his plate with. He shot a glance at Sesshomaru. "And I'm sure it's interfering with his precious time on other projects he has working on at the moment."

"It doesn't even matter if I wanted to go." Sesshomaru said. "Which I most emphatically do not wish to attend. But if I don't have an assistant, I'll be forced to rely on my mother's staff. So I need one."

"Well actually…" Kagome started. "I do have a friend who's looking for a new job at the moment. I'm sure if I give her a call she'll be free to work."

Sesshomaru turned toward her. "You do?"

She nodded. "She's very sweet, hardworking, and I'm sure she'd travel on such short notice if you offered overtime."

"I'm going to need someone who can run a very busy schedule for me while I'm in Japan. There are many high-profile functions I must attend."

"I'm sure that won't be a problem. Rin's very task-oriented and she takes a lot of notes."

Sesshomaru pondered this. He did need someone right away and calling an agency would take forever to get someone on such short notice. Plus this Rin woman didn't have a job at the moment so it was convenient. "I'll check in with Jaken again tonight, and I will let you know if I need her services."

"Of course." Kagome replied. "Just let me know and I'll give her a call."

* * *

Kagome and Inuyasha left a few hours later when she started feeling tired, and when she arrived home, she was on pins and needles about the Rin situation. She fidgeted and checked her phone a dozen times every few minutes, just in case. An hour after they returned home, and she had gotten settled for bed, Sesshomaru texted Kagome with a message.

 _It seems I need your friend after all. Do you think she can meet me at the airport at 8:00pm with her passport, as much formal business wear as she can carry, and be ready to work? I will pay her triple of what she would normally be paid._

Kagome looked at the phone as she got into bed beside her fiancé, read the screen, and smiled brightly. "Yes, this is going to be great! Rin is exactly the woman Sesshomaru needs."

Inuyasha grimaced. "He's going to kill you when he gets home, Kag. You know Sesshomaru hates working with humans. Well most of them at least. He only has a few working in his company but still. "

"Rin is human yes." She agreed. "But she's friendly and sweet. It'll be the perfect situation, because she'll be charming and she'll eventually win him over. After this ordeal, I suspect this time next year, she'll be joining us for family dinner."

"You're insane you know that right. If you think that this is going to work, then you have a strong determination. But I guess that's one of the reasons why I love you." He said. "Otherwise I won't be able to save you from his wrath."

"Once he falls in love with her, the only thing I have to expect from him is a big fat thank you for bringing her into his life. I'm going to call her now to make sure she can take the job."

He waved a hand at her. "Fine then, just don't spend too long talking to her alright. You and the pup need to rest."

Kagome grinned with sheer delight again. "Don't worry I won't."

* * *

Rin Noto was watching an episode of Once Upon A Time on her small television, eating popcorn, and feeling rather homesick when her phone rang. It wasn't unusual for family members to call at odd hours, just because that was how her family was. "Hello?"

"Rin? It's Kagome."

She put aside her bowl of popcorn and licked her fingers to clean them. "Kagome, it's been what feels like forever, how are you?" It was awhile since she heard from her, especially since Rin was busy trying to finish her last year in college and finding a new job after being one of the few people from her old job to be let go.

"Great, how are you?"

"I'm good!" She replied trying to sound happy.

She didn't want to mention that she was in desperate need of money at the moment and feeling dejected after being passed on another job that she applied for. Her rent had gotten raised and if she didn't find a new job soon, she'll have to find somewhere else to live and already she wasn't living in a great place and area to begin with. Also her school had told her that her other scholarship and loan fell through and she needed to find a way to pay the amount before the next semester started. Which sucked since she was in her last year of school and wanted to finish it and not delay.

"Well, the reason I'm calling is because I need a favor. Do you have a passport? " Kagome asked.

Rin frowned. "Well, yea of course I have a passport Kagome. It's actually one of the things I got before I came to New York." She was rather proud of that passport. Not many people in her hometown had one and not many people in her hometown traveled out of state, much less out of the country.

"That's great, like I said I need a favor from you." Kagome said.

"Sure, what can I do for you? Need help preparing for the baby nursey or shopping again?"

Kagome laughed through the phone. "I think I have enough things that will last me until next year for this baby. But no that's not it."

"Than what is it?" Rin asked.

"I'm calling because I need a favor. Inuyasha's brother, Sesshomaru, is in need of an assistant as soon as possible because his personal assistant is sick and he's about to go on an important trip."

"Oh?"

"Yes. His name is Sesshomaru Taisho. Have you heard of him?"

"Hmm, that name kinda rings a bell. Is he the one that owns Taisho Corporations?" She had recalled seeing an article about him in the New York Times about the new clients he received from his company. Apparently it was big deal.

"Yep that's the same guy, and he's offered to pay you triple of what you would normally get if you go on a trip with him and act as his personal secretary. He needs someone to manage his appointments and such. He doesn't show his emotions much so don't be alarmed if he acts like he doesn't care."

Rin had literally stopped listening after the magical words of "triple of what she would normally make." She looked at her small, limited-furnished, closet-sized apartment, and crossed her legs on her bed. A little more money would go a long way. It would certainly help mend some of the things she needed taken care of. "So he just needs someone to help him with his appointments and other duties? I think I can manage that."

"I know you're perfect for this job when I heard it. So can you go? He needs you to meet him at the airport tomorrow at 8pm." Kagome gave her some rattled-off details that she quickly wrote on a notepad, then said, "I can send you an email with everything if you like."

"That would be great."

"Good, I'll text Sesshomaru and let him know. He'll be so pleased! Just pack all of your normal business wear."

Rin would have to get an Uber or lyft to the airport. Actually, no, she heard the stories about some of the drivers of those things. Maybe she could take the subway instead. That was cheaper and in a way quicker. "Where exactly does Mr. Taisho need to go? Is it England, Italy?" She hoped it was Italy, she always wanted to go to Italy and see the leaning tower of Pisa and the colosseum.

"Actually he has to go to Japan.

Japan! That was even better! Rin could check out the golden pavilion and the visit Tokyo tower. Then a thought came to her. "Wait a minute, aren't they going to have that wedding ceremony there? The one with that famous demoness and human."

"Yep, that's where you're going." Kagome said. "Sesshomaru's been invited to the wedding."

"Really?"

"Really. Inuyasha was invited to attend as well, but with me being nauseas, I won't be able to travel for so long on a plane."

"You sure you want me to go to this Kagome? I don't really know much about secretarial work. What if I mess up?" Now Rin was starting to get worried. She had never been to a social event as big as this before. Hell she never even been to a big event in a day in her life, unless she counted her senior prom in high school. Added to the fact that even though she was excited about receiving triple the normal rate for the work, the most she ever did was wait tables and never worked in an office setting.

"You'll be fine, I just know it Rin." Kagome said, a coaxing note in her voice. "It'll be fun. Think of the stories you'll have to tell afterward! And don't forget, triple the rate. All you have to do is make sure Sesshomaru gets to places on time and take his phone calls. It'll be easy."

And Kagome had recommended her to do it? Rin might've only known Kagome for a few months, she can already see her as such a good friend and the closest thing to family in this city. "Alright then Kagome, since you have such faith in me, I won't let you down! You tell Mr. Taisho that he's got himself an assistant."

"Perfect!" Kagome said, utterly delighted. "I'll send you an email with all the details. Thanks, again. You're the best and I know you'll do great!"

They hung up and Rin immediately leaned back on her bed. Getting to travel to Japan for a famous wedding and getting a great amount of money to boot to assist a well-known businessman. She had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

* * *

"Whoa." Rin breathed as the courtesy transport cart drove onto the tarmac toward the jet. She juggled her bags, clutching them in her lap.

"Almost there, Ms. Noto," The driver told her.

"That's a pretty small plane, isn't it?" It didn't look very big, or safe for that matter. She'd flown in an exceedingly large plane on the way to New York City, with three rows across and plenty six up and down. This . . . was clearly not the same kind of plane.

"It's a private jet Ms." The driver said, an elderly man who seemed to be having a great time watching her reactions to everything in the airport. "Some are smaller than others. This is one of the larger ones."

"It is?" She stared at it, gaping. "So there won't be any other people on it?"

"No Ms., Mr. Taisho won't be flying coach." Rin could have sworn he smiled to himself at the thought.

"Oh, okay." She felt incredibly out of her depth at the moment as she clutched her luggage tighter. This suddenly felt a little overwhelming.

'Triple the rate.' She repeated to herself. 'Triple the rate.'

Kagome had figured she would be perfect for this job, and really, she was doing Mr. Taisho a favor by traveling at the last minute with him. She just needed to remember that. He needed her, not the other way around. Lifting her head high, Rin resolved that she was going to enjoy this trip. She'd never left the States before, and this would be the adventure of a lifetime.

The cart parked in front of the jet and a wheeled staircase had been set at the door. At the top, a flight attendant waited. The man took Rin's suitcase from her arms and frowned a bit at the bright red tartan of it, along with the trailing ribbons she had decorating the handle. He touched one of the ribbons. "Did you need to secure these, Ms.?"

"Oh, no." She said cheerily. "That's so it doesn't get lost in the luggage pick-up."

"There's no luggage pick-up on a private jet." He said, smiling at her. "Otherwise, it's a smart idea."

She beamed at him for the compliment. "I can carry the suitcase, there's no need for you to go up all those stairs."

"I don't mind. It's my job."

"Well thank you then." She told him, and the man grinned at her. She was brought up to treat everyone with respect, the same way she would want to be treated, so she was always friendly to the staff. Hell, she was staff. These were her people. "I can't thank you enough for the ride out here."

"Just doing my job Ms." He said again, and gestured for her to climb the stairs ahead of him.

She clutched her purse close, shifted her backpack onto her shoulder, and let him carry her suitcase. She was glad she had worn low-heeled flats with her skirted suit, because that staircase looked vastly steep. Didn't most flights normally have a tunnel ramp thingy you went down to get onto the plane? She supposed this baby plane was too dinky for that sort of thing.

Nearby, another flight attendant smiled at her. She was wearing a black-jacketed suit that looked way fancier than anything Rin owned. Her blonde hair was pulled into an elegant twist and she wore more makeup than Rin. Still, she looked model beautiful. "Welcome. Mr. Taisho is inside. Can I take your things?"

"Oh, uh, thank you." Rin said and shrugged off her backpack. "You're so kind to offer. And wow, you are so pretty!" It wasn't a lie—the woman was flat-out gorgeous.

The woman chuckled at Rin's effusive compliment and took the bag from her. "Thank you. Please follow me and I'll show you where you can sit."

The interior of the jet was nothing like the time that she'd flown coach. Then, she'd been at the back of the plane and the ride was so bumpy that she'd felt like she'd ridden a bull all the way to New York. They'd hit turbulence and it had given her nightmares so badly that she'd gone to the doctor for a prescription of relaxers, which were in her purse at the moment, for the next time she flew. She'd also been a middle seat and had spent the entire terrifying flight squished between two fat businessmen, who'd looked terribly displeased at the thought of someone sitting in the middle seat. It hadn't been an experience she'd wanted to repeat. The trepidation of flying had been on her mind this morning as she'd packed her suitcase, but the triple in her pay pretty much won the argument every time. She had her pills, so she'd be fine.

The smiling flight attendant led her in. "The flight is approximately thirteen hours."

"Thirteen hours?" Rin said. "That's a long time to remain in the air."

"It is long, but this is an overnight trip, so you can sleep most of the way there." The attendant said with a smile.

"Oh, I'll probably be too riled up to sleep." Rin told her. The attendant then stepped aside and she got her first really good look at the private jet. "Oh my gosh."

It was like something out of a movie.

Soft golden lighting filled the cabin, the ceiling striated in a decorative seashell pattern designed to make the interior seem much bigger than it actually was. There were no ridiculously crowded—and claustrophobia-making—overhead compartments here. Instead, more lights were built into the ceiling, and beautiful carpeting in a soft, pale patterned brown lined the floor of the cabin. The few seats inside the cabin were enormous, made of a buttery leather, and a pretty table jutted out from each wall, accompanied by a flat-screen TV on an arm that could be pulled out so the seated occupant could watch whatever they wanted. Rin counted eight of these seats, and in the back, there was another door to what must have been a private room. Flowers in small vases adorned each of the tabletops in the main cabins.

This was nicer than her apartment.

"What do you think?" The flight attendant was smiling at her, clearly seeing her awe.

"It's so . . . ritzy. This is where we're flying?" Whoa, they were paying her to fly in this jet? And then take a trip to Japan? Man, she didn't know how she'd gotten so lucky. She couldn't stop smiling, either.

The attendant laughed. "It is. Mr. Taisho is in the back room and doesn't wish to be disturbed at the moment." She inclined her head at the closed door. "Let's put down your things and I'll show you where the bathroom is. Just pick a spot."

Rin walked through the spacious cabin, running a hand over the silky-smooth leather of each seat before selecting one in the back. She wasn't quite sure where employees were supposed to sit, but she guessed it wasn't in the front. The back was always where the roughest ride was on a plane, right? She was pretty sure Mr. Taisho wouldn't want to sit there, then. She picked a seat and sat down, then clasped her hands in her lap.

"This isn't like a normal flight." The attendant said. "So anything you need, you just let me know."

She patted her purse, now in the seat beside her. "I have my panic pills in here."

The attendant laughed and gave her a sympathetic look. "Afraid to fly?"

"Afraid of crashing or falling to my death, yea." Rin admitted. "I haven't flown much and it makes my heart race pretty badly."

"Do you want a drink? I can make you a lovely cocktail."

A cocktail? "That'd be very nice of you."

She winked at her. "How about a mojito?"

Rin had never had one. Even when she was legally able to drink, she never bothered trying too. But now…she was on a private jet, about to fly to Japan, and the triple rate in her pay! This would be the great time to celebrate and with a drink, so how could she pass it up? "That would be great, thank you." She pulled out her purse. "Do you want to see my ID?"

The attendant giggled again. "Not necessary. This is a private flight, I'm sure you're old enough."

"I'm twenty-one." She admitted.

"I'm Rei." The attendant said, and bustled away, her hips swaying in that nice suited jacket.

Rin smoothed her own cotton dress, she'd gotten at Marshalls on sale. It had buttons going up in a fake seam and the jacket was attached to the skirt so the entire thing zipped up the back. It fit a bit like a sack, but it had been on sale, and you couldn't ask for more than that. She'd just safety-pinned it in the worst spots and called it a day. Of course, she'd had to take those out when they'd wand her at security, so it was a little loose at the moment.

As she waited for her drink, she ran her hands along the smooth leather of the seats and tinkered with the buttons she could reach. Some were for air vents, some for lighting, and one let her call the attendant. There was a control for the television, earphones tucked into a pocket on the side of her chair, and a fancy little pillow and matching blanket just for her, if she wanted them. It was impressive. Heck, it was nicer than some motel rooms she'd stayed in. The motel she'd stayed in while searching for an apartment had water damage on the ceiling and she had to share a bathroom with everyone else on the floor.

Rei returned a few minutes later with her drink. "Here you go."

Rin took the glass. It looked pretty refreshing, especially with the mint in it. "Thank you very much." She sipped it and smiled at Rei. "It's wonderful." It was pretty good, refreshing just like she thought. She kept drinking as she settled into her seat.

As the minutes passed, the cabin remained empty. She tried to finish her drink quickly so she could be done before they took off, but it seemed that they weren't in any particular kind of hurry. They were just . . . sitting here, waiting on Mr. Taisho. She fished a piece of ice out of her glass and chewed on it, sucking the last of mojito off the cube.

Rei eventually returned and snagged her glass with a smile. Before she could protest, Rei was pouring another. Well, she could drink another one of those. After all, it was pretty tasty and refreshing.

The plane began to taxi down the runway just as she started to drink her new one, and Rin chugged it, trying to finish it before they took off. That was just polite, right? By the time she'd sucked down that second mojito, she was feeling a little tipsy. Nothing ridiculous, just a little floaty and loose. It was probably because she'd drank them so fast and on an empty stomach. The plane stopped again, and waited.

Rin peered out the window. She couldn't see anything except the night sky and the lights on the runway. Why weren't they getting into the air?

The attendant floated past again, and as Rin watched, Rei went to the door at the back of the plane and knocked. "Ready to leave whenever you are, Mr. Taisho." She didn't wait for an answer, just swung back around to Rin and smiled. "Another drink?"

"No thank you." Rin said. "But thank you though."

Rei took the glass from her. "Go ahead and buckle up. We'll be leaving as soon as Mr. Taisho is finished with his meeting."

She fumbled with her belt, snapping it at her waist and then tightening it. Anxiety began to gnaw at the pit of her stomach. She'd be meeting the well-known business man Mr. Taisho himself, and they'd be flying. Both things that made her very, very nervous. Combined with the drinks, she felt like she was going to throw up.

Time for her pills.

She fished the bottle out of her purse and peered at the label, uncertain of how many to take. One or two? There was a bright yellow sticker on the side that said DO NOT MIX WITH ALCOHOL but it was a bit too late for that now wasn't it? She hurriedly popped one into her mouth, swallowing it.

Five minutes later, she felt nice. So, so nice…mellow…all floaty and wonderful.

In a pleasant haze, she watched as Rei buckled herself in at the far end of the cabin and they both waited for Mr. Taisho to appear. She blinked slowly…that was rather fun, so she blinked again, watching her eyelashes descend. Wow. Who knew eyelashes were so interesting?

"We might be another minute." Rei said to her. "Can I get you anything else?"

Rin beamed at her and gave her a thumbs up. One hardly seemed to convey how good she was feeling, so she thrust her other one into the air, too. "I'm wonderful. So, so _wonderful_!" And she wagged her thumbs at her.

The smile on Rei's face faltered a little in its sincerity. "Um…all right. Just let me know if you need anything."

Rin thought for a moment, not an easy feat given the alcohol and pills. Then, she said, "Knitting."

"I'm sorry…I don't think I caught that."

She flapped her hands, a bit like a chicken and said. "These are bored."

"Bored?" Rei blinked at her, hard.

"Yes. And my knitting is all tied up in my luggage." She made a sad face. "It's probably lonely." She stared down at her hands. "I bet it misses them."

"Your suitcase is actually just up here." Rei said, that curious look still on her face. "Do you want to get it?"

"Oh, that would be just peachy!" She stood up, or tried to anyhow. She was still buckled in and it knocked her back to her chair. She began to giggle wildly. "Oopsie daisy."

"I can get it for you." Rei said quickly.

"That would be peachy, too." Rin said with a languid smile. "It's in a side pocket." Gosh, they were nice on private airplanes. She liked everyone here so much.

A moment later, Rei handed her the knitting and Rin made a happy sound in her throat. So perfect! Now she could knit all the way to Japan. Maybe she'd knit a hat for Mr. Taisho. Wouldn't he just love that? "Everyone likes hats." She mumbled aloud to herself, and began to knit.

* * *

There was a soft knock at the door as Sesshomaru was on the phone with one of his business deals. "Ready to leave whenever you are, Mr. Taisho." The attendant said, through the door.

He ignored it and continued talking for a few minutes more. He was pissed as hell that he had to take time away from his company just to see Akira lower herself and marry some pathetic human. He should've picked an event to attend too or planned a business trip to get out of this. But seeing how both Inuyasha and Inutaisho weren't going to the wedding, someone had to attend. Now he had to dress up in starchy suits, shake hands with a few people, and have his blasted photo taken eight hundred times a day. His brother should've been the one to go, but no, his fiancée had to feel nauseas to fly and he had to stay with her since he couldn't leave her side. Such a worthless hanyou.

When he could put off the inevitable no longer, he ended the call, put away his laptop, and left his private room. He nodded at the attendant at the far end of the plane and sat in his seat, rubbing his face. He was looking forward to this about as much as one would look forward to a tooth extraction, or perhaps a vasectomy. A colonoscopy? He pondered a list of horrific things that could possibly be less painful than a week-long celebrity wedding between a human and a demon.

He buckled his seat belt, closed his eyes and leaned back, and the plane began to taxi forward. He kept his eyes closed, relaxing, as the plane ascended into the air, the roar of the engines drowning out everything but his own thoughts. Eventually the sound of the engines leveled out, and he became aware of a new noise.

Clicking.

He frowned, opening his eyes just in time to see the flight attendant lean over his chair. "Can I get you anything, Mr. Taisho?"

He shook his head. "I'm fine."

She nodded and disappeared. The clicking began again. He looked to his left. Nothing. Looked behind him. And paused.

What on earth?

There was a woman behind him. A black-haired young woman…and she was knitting.

That was . . . odd.

This had to be the friend of Kagome's. She had texted him last night and told him that she'd send her over to meet him at his plane. To be perfectly honest, he'd been so wrapped up in his own misery that he hadn't even given it much thought. It was just taken care of. But this? This made him pause.

First of all, this woman was a human. He couldn't stand working with them because they were so incompetent. They couldn't do anything right and they needed help showing how to do the simplest of things. And another thing was that the woman was a mess. Her hair was a messy pile of black that long passed her slim shoulder. She was fair skinned, not a freckle or spot on her face. And speaking of her face, she looked impossibly young . . . except for the knitting. Also she had on what had to be the most sincerely godawful ugly suit he'd ever seen. It hung off her small frame like a shapeless sack.

For the love of…he'd asked for competent, experienced. Kagome had assured him that her friend was all these things. Damn that woman of Inuyasha's. He'd bloody kill her when he got back home.

"Just who in the world are you?" Sesshomaru barked out at the human woman, furious. This had to be a mistake. Surely Kagome wouldn't be so foolish enough to send this human woman to work for him.

Rin blinked slowly. Twice, as if it were difficult to do so. Long, black lashes skimmed her eyes and there was something peculiar about her gaze. Her eyes were extremely dark.

"Hi there!" She said in a high pitched voice that it made him inwardly cringe. Small hands dropped the knitting into her lap and she stuck one out at him. "I'm Rin Noto."

He just stared at her.

She tilted her head and blinked slowly again. Then she giggled, the sound musical and sweet and young. "You must be Mr. Tashy."

"Taisho." He gritted. Up in the front of the cabin, he heard the flight attendant smother a laugh, and he shot her a glare.

"It sounds like a cute doggie's name." She said, her voice quite serious. "I always wanted a dog. Ever since I was little I wanted a cute little west highland terrier. They're sooooo cute and fluffy!"

He stared at her a moment longer, and then looked over at the flight attendant. "Is she drunk?"

Rei's eyes widened. "I only gave her two drinks, sir."

"Sounds like two too many." He muttered. He turned back to the wild-haired human, who was blinking those big brown eyes at him. "Are you drunk?"

"No sir." She breathed. "I'm Rin No—"

"I heard you the first time girl." He interrupted. "And you are clearly drunk. Either that, or a fool. Why did Kagome send you?"

"Triple time." She said, and gave him a beaming smile. "You're caught in a jumble of a pickle and I get to make lots of money and a fancy trip to all the nice parts of Japan."

Dear God, her voice got pitcher the more she talked. There were all kinds of revolting human sayings rumbling out of her mouth. He was _really_ going to kill his brother's woman.

"Yesiree." Rin breathed. "You're plumb outta assistants and so Kagome called me and asked me if I could look after Mr. Tashy, and I said I surely could."

This was ridiculous and truly a complete waste of his time. This woman surely didn't know how to act and the more she talked, the more irritated she was making him. He pulled out his phone and began to furiously text.

"Whatcha doin?" Rin asked, making him even angrier.

"I'm texting Inuyasha to let him know how much I hate his fiancée." Sesshomaru snapped. "You absolutely cannot be my assistant for this trip. This is a job that requires delicacy and an ability to maintain a tight schedule—"

"I can do all that—"

"—and manners." He interrupted, rudely. "This is inexcusable and utterly ridiculous and you are not going to be my assistant."

"I'm not?" The two words were soft and trembly.

He shot her another angry look. "Don't you dare."

But it was too late. The horrid creature burst into big, gulping, noisy sobs.

Sesshomaru had grown up to practice restraint in certain situations and considered emotional displays to be a waste. Crying? Never happened. He had no need too. It simply wasn't done. And given that Sesshomaru normally wasn't his best with people, he really, really didn't know what to do with a crying female.

This trip was going from bad to worse, and rapidly.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: Whoa this was a lot to write! But I had to make sure I got their meeting in here instead of breaking it up. Anyway, what did you guys think? Liked it, loved it, and can't wait for the next chapter? Well be sure to leave a review and I'll update the next chapter very soon. So until next time guys! ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

BlueMoon Goddess: I'm so happy people are enjoying this story so far. Now this chapter is a bit shorter than the last one, but it has plenty of humor so get ready to laugh a bit.

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once Upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.

* * *

Sesshomaru stared at the sobbing young woman seated behind him. She blubbered loudly, her youthful face turning splotchy red, her hair moving as she wiped at her face with a cocktail napkin.

"Stop crying." He commanded.

She only cried harder.

This was unbelievable. He glanced at the flight attendant to see if she could help him, but she was averting her eyes, her mouth a reproachful line of disapproval. Just lovely. It seemed that even his staff was not on his side.

With a sigh, he looked back at the awful creature that was supposed to be his assistant. "What will it take for you to stop crying?"

Rin sniffed loudly. "I need a hug."

"You what?"

She extended her arms out.

"I am not hugging you." He said with narrowed eyes.

She began to cry harder.

His jaw clenched in irritation. This was beyond ridiculous. "Stop crying." He said again.

"You don't like me!" She blubbered.

'No, I don't.' Sesshomaru wanted to say, but he had no desire to see more of this woman's crying. He decided to try manipulation instead. "I will hug you if you stop your useless wailing."

"O-Okay." She said, and sniffed loudly.

That worked? Really? That had been easier than he'd thought. He gave her a firm nod and turned back around in his chair. He'd give the creature some time to compose herself, and then he'd see the best way to get rid of her as soon as they landed in Japan. He'd have to borrow a few members of staff from his mother and he'd simply have to endure her incessant advice about adding employees and then cheerfully discard any suggestions once he got back to New York. He barely glanced over as the creature got up from her seat, likely to go and clean herself up in the bathroom. He was still thinking about staffing issues and how his mother would point out smugly that she'd warned him of such a problem, and she couldn't possibly spare one of her own staff, because—

A shadow fell over him.

He looked up, just in time for the strange, bizarre woman to drop herself into his lap and wrap her arms around his neck. He stiffened in shock.

Had this . . . human woman really just climbed into his lap and put her arms around his neck? It wasn't to be endured. He was her employer, first of all, and this wasn't proper in the slightest. He was also a powerful demon, and no one touched him without their permission, even in this day and age. "Woman." He said flatly. "What do you think you are doing?"

Rin burrowed her face against his neck. "Told you I needed a hug." She mumbled, as she snuggled closer, oblivious to his rigid posture.

"Remove yourself from me this instant."

She ignored him.

He looked for the attendant to help him out, but she'd disappeared from her seat, no doubt hiding up in the cockpit with the pilots. Dammit…he was trapped.

Sesshomaru tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair, trying to think. Strands of black hair tickled his nose as she nuzzled closer, and he began to feel inappropriately aroused. Her arms around his neck were soft, her hair fragrant and her slight hip was pressing against his cock. Any hot-blooded male, demon or human, would've reacted the same way. And all the more reason to get her off his lap.

So he thought for a moment. What was her name again? Nana? Millie? "Get up, girl."

She gave a small sigh of pleasure and tucked her head even closer to his neck. "Don't wanna." Her lips moved against his throat, and he shifted in his seat, willing his cock to quit responding to the touch of a drunk woman.

"What is your name again?"

"Rin." She breathed, and her soft breath tickled his skin. "Rin Noto."

"I need you to get off me Rin." He said. "It is not proper."

Her head jerked up, narrowly missing his jaw, and she peered up at him. As she did, he noticed that her red-rimmed eyes were a brilliant brown that seemed to glow on her pale face. Dammit, those were rather nice eyes for a little human woman. That was another thought he shouldn't have toward her, he reminded himself.

"You still gonna get rid of me?" She asked, and her hand began to play with his long silver hair, fingers toying with the base of his neck in a way that sent inappropriate shivers through his body.

Sesshomaru gazed into those big brown eyes. He decided to level with her. "This is a very delicate job—"

"I'm good with handling delicate things."

Great, now his mind was thinking of those small hands playing with his hair and touching all kinds of delicate things. Inappropriate. _Very_ Inappropriate.

"But this is a job that will require a lot of skill—" Oh, hell, now that was a particularly bad choice of words.

"I have skills." Rin said in a husky voice, staring up at him. The side of her breast was pressing against his chest, and it felt a great deal rounder than what that godawful suit led on. "I can file, and take messages and type and I'm a burn talker."

He was about to scoff at that paltry list of skills when he caught the last part of what she was saying. "A what? What in the world is a burn talker?"

"It's me. I'm a healer. If you burn yourself, I just rub it and talk to the burn and make it go away." And now her fingers were rubbing the exposed line of skin at his neck. God have mercy.

"That sounds ridiculous." He said, and cleared his throat because his voice wasn't as convincing as it should have been. "And you should really get off my lap. This is very . . . inappropriate." He sounded like a stuffy prig.

"Burn talkers are real." She said in a dreamy voice. "We have great hands. Great at rubbing. I can take the heat out of anything with a touch."

Good God, his body reacted to that. Did she even realize what she was saying? "You really should get off my lap."

"You need me."

He groaned. Parts of his anatomy were agreeing with her, and that was making him furious not only with her, but himself.

She stared up at him again. "Are you still going to get rid of me?"

"I certainly am now that you are flinging yourself all over me." He began, and glanced down at her upturned face again. There was something else about her brown eyes that was bothering him. After a moment, he realized what it was. Her pupils were dilated to an enormous size. He frowned and grabbed her face, peering into her eyes. That was more than just two drinks. "Did you take something else?"

"Just a happy pill." She told him, petting his hair and looking up at him with soft, drugged eyes. "I don't like flying. It scares me."

"Damn it. Give me your pill bottle." He needed to see if she was going to start foaming or convulsing in the next few minutes. This horrible trip was just getting worse by the minute.

"Kay." Instead of getting up, she twisted in his arms, mashing her breasts against his chest as she reached behind her. There was no question, she was stacked in the front despite her baggy suit, and she was pushing them against him with enthusiasm.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and counted backwards from a hundred to distract himself as Rin shifted and twisted in his arms, rubbing all over him.

When he was at seventy-two, she twisted back to the front. "Here you go, Mr. Tashy."

He opened his eyes and flinched. This crazy woman had a purse that looked like a saddle. "This is your handbag?"

"Isn't it something?" She seemed proud.

"Oh, it's something." He muttered. He took it from her and began to dig through the contents, and his hand wrapped around a small pill bottle a moment later. He read the side of it and then looked over at her.

Her face was inches away from his and she was staring at him, doing that weird slow blink.

"It says that you are not supposed to mix this with alcohol." He pointed out unnecessarily.

"Did you know that you have a really straight nose?" She touched the bridge of his nose with the tip of her finger and then ran it all the way down to the tip. "Like one of them guys on the coins."

"Lovely, can you get off my lap while I look up side effects of this on the Internet? No? Figures." He picked up his smartphone and typed with his thumb, while she played with his hair and ran her hands all over him. He had the biggest boner at the moment, thanks to her careless touches and wiggling, but he suspected she wouldn't notice a thing . . . which was good, because he was rather displeased about it himself.

It seemed that alcohol combined with her anxiety drugs made the effect that much stronger. Great, that explained her bizarre actions at least.

"Your hair's really long and soft too." She breathed into his ear, and gave a soft giggle that made his cock twitch all over again.

He flicked his phone off and frowned at her. "Soft?"

"It feels like a fluffy pillow. That's funny." Her fingers still playing in it.

"Well I am happy you find it amusing." He told her in a tight voice. "Now. Come on, stand up."

Though she protested, and if he was honest, so did his cock, he managed to get her to stand upright. He got up and when she put her arms up around his neck again, he figured that was a good thing and lifted her into his arms. Carrying her to the back room, he laid her down on the narrow bed he kept there for overnight flights . . . like tonight's.

"Oooh, is it nap time?" Rin spoke, drunkenly. It seems her words were getting slurred by the moment. "You gonna come sleep with me, Mr. Tashy?"

"No." He said in a firm voice. "You are going to lay there and sleep, and when you are no longer out of your mind, we are going to discuss what we are going to do with you. Understand?"

"You're not very nice." She muttered as he laid her on the bed. Rin wiggled into the pillows, her skirt hiked up, showing far too much skin for his liking that he felt himself break out into a cold sweat.

He was definitely going to kill Kagome when he got back. He averted his gaze and pulled a throw blanket over her legs so she was somewhat modest. "Sleep. We will talk later."

"Not tired." She said, and then ruined it by yawning hugely.

"Stay there anyhow." Sesshomaru commanded her.

It didn't matter, because she was already drifting off to sleep. He watched her for a minute longer, completely confounded by the entire situation. Then, rubbing his face to refocus, he left the small room, shut the door, and returned to his chair. And picked up his phone so he could finish his text to Inuyasha.

 _Your fiancée is dead to me._

A second later, Sesshomaru read the response. _Hey, I tried to warn her. But Rin was available, though._

 _She is rotten. She is wearing a disgusting zip-up suit, it is disgraceful. I'm supposed to mix with royalty this week with her at my side?_

There was a long pause, and then Inuyasha responded. _Kagome says that you're acting like a snob and that you're being a jerk. Which I happen to agree. And that Rin is very sweet and hardworking. We didn't lie about that. She was also the only one available at the last minute, so take what you can get._

 _I am not acting like a snob_. Well, he was, but he didn't give a shit, really. _And she's going back on the first flight I can dump her on_.

 _Suit yourself._ Inuyasha texted back. And a moment later, another text came through. _SNOBSNOBSNOBBYSNOB_.

Sesshomaru glared at the phone. _I hate you, do you know that. Give the phone back to Inuyasha._

He got nothing but a smiley face in return.

Any plans of dumping Rin somewhere on the way were discarded when the woman continued to sleep all the way through when they had to stop for fueling. Sesshoamru briefly contemplated waking her up and leaving her at the airport as soon as she woke up, but he wasn't entirely sure how long she'd be unconscious. If it was six hours, he didn't want to loiter on a runway.

He could just as easily leave her at the airport in Japan after all. So they flew on toward his home country and he napped in his chair since the bloody woman was occupying his bed. When he awoke, he smoothed down and then, an hour out from the landing, he changed clothing into a dark navy jacket. He refused to sash-up and go full regalia simply because they were leaving the airport, even though he knew there would be photographers waiting to see his exit from the plane. A jacket and tie would be just fine…except that he couldn't make his blasted tie work.

Normally Jaken was on hand to tie it for him, and in his daily life, he preferred to have no ties at all. But now, to show up in his home country for a royal wedding with his collar open? He would never hear the end of it. So he stared at the mirror and muttered to himself as he tried to tie his tie, over and over again. And failed each time.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: Yep, told you guys it was pretty short. But I'll have the next chapter out tomorrow since it's already written out. Next chapter Rin wakes up and has to answer for what she did in her drunken/drugged state, and you certainly don't want to miss that. So until next time guys! ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

BlueMoon Goddess: Yep I told you guys I'd have the next chapter out very fast. So sit back and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once Upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.

* * *

Rin woke up, confused as to where she was. The lights were off and she was lying in a bed, but she could hear the roar of a plane engine. These things didn't make sense. She sat up in the bed and felt around until she found a bedside lamp and flicked it on, staring at her surroundings. She was in a small room in what must have been the back of the plane. She blinked rapidly, trying to recall how she'd gotten into this room.

The last thing she remembered was taking her pill. Oh crap, had she even met Mr. Taisho? Her mouth had an awful taste in it, and she licked her lips. Why didn't she remember anything? Her bladder made its need known, and she got up from the bed, noticing that her shoes were gone. When had she lost those? That made her panic a little, but a quick check showed she was still wearing her panties and her dress was intact. That was good, at least. Maybe those drinks Rei had given her were stronger than she'd thought.

She found a bathroom off to one side of the strange room and gasped at her reflection. Her hair was practically standing up on end, frizzy strands everywhere. Drool tracks lined her mouth in several directions, and she had bags under her puffy eyes. She looked awful. She turned on the tap, scrubbed her face, and wet her hands, trying to tame the worst of her hair. Oh, God, she really hoped Mr. Taisho hadn't seen her like this. He'd think she was a tumbleweed.

Repairing her appearance as best she could, Rin straightened her dress and gave it an approving nod. Polyester was a great fabric—she'd slept in the thing and barely a wrinkle. That was perfect. With one final smoothing touch to her hair, she left the bathroom behind and emerged from the cabin. A man sat in one of the big, buttery-soft leather chairs at the far end of the plane. An upraised newspaper hid his face from her and she squinted, trying to recall what he looked like. Young? Old? Ugly? Had to be old if he was able to afford a jet like this, she decided. Elderly people were nice people, weren't they? She rather hoped he was nice.

Rin cleared her throat. "Mr. Taisho?"

The paper folded. A man stared at her from behind it, a frown on his face.

Well . . . he wasn't old. His long, silver hair that looked soft to the touch, and two magenta stripes were on each side of his face along with a purple crescent moon on his forehead. His features were very strong and pleasant, she decided. If she'd have passed him on the street, she would've noticed him. He was very handsome indeed.

He gave her a dismissive look. "Are we back to ourselves now?"

She resisted the urge to rub her eyes like a sleepy child. "I beg your pardon, sir?"

"I am going to assume that is a yes." He folded the paper and set it aside, then stood. He was tall, she realized, that long hair touching his waist. He wore a crisp navy jacket, khaki-colored slacks, and a loose tie hung around his neck, as if he hadn't quite finished dressing.

"I'm sorry if I took up your room." Rin said, resisting the urge to twist her hands in anxiety. "Did I fall asleep or something?"

His eyes narrowed. "I trust you do not remember flinging yourself at me?"

She blinked. "I flung myself at you?"

"If I recall correctly, you asked for a hug." Sesshomaru said in a sour voice. He gave her an unhappy look. Rin straightened her clothes, but he turned to a mirror on a far wall and began to jerk at the tie around his neck, trying to tie it . . . and doing a rather lousy job.

"A hug?" She choked on a laugh. That sounded so funny. "Really?"

The look he shot her wasn't amused. He untied the tie and then tried to tie it again. "Yes, and then you crawled all over me and wept. It was not how I anticipated spending my flight, Ms. Noto."

She bit her lip, a flush of embarrassment heating her cheeks. He sounded so utterly disgusted with her. So much for a great first impression. "Sorry about that. I must not have been myself."

"You were not. You combined alcohol with your pills and it affected your brain." He gave her another displeased look. "At least, I assume that is not how you normally are."

The smile that curved her mouth was tight. She'd be nice and super polite to this man despite his mean words. "I can assure you I normally don't go around asking my employer for a hug, Mr. Taisho."

"I sure as hope so." He replied, still trying to fix his damned tie.

Rin was watching as he knotted the tie, scowled at his reflection and then undid it again. At this rate he was going to destroy the poor thing. It already looked rather mangled.

"As soon as we get to Japan, I will book you a flight back home." Sesshoamru said.

Rin frowned. But . . . they were almost at the airport. The worst part of the trip, the flying, was nearly over. She wanted to see Japan and she wanted to get that triple-time money. "I'm really sorry about my behavior last night, but I'm not normally that kind of girl. It won't happen again."

"I know that. I confiscated your pills." Before she could protest, he attempted to knot the tie again and continued speaking. "And are you aware that you're wearing a polyester one-piece that pretends to be a two-piece suit Ms. Noto?"

She gave the too-large dress a little shake. "Yes I'm aware. But hey, no wrinkles, I'd say that's pretty good considering I slept in it."

The look he shot her was scathing, which surprised her. "Akira Soto, demoness and heir to Soto Empires, is getting married next week." He began again, dragging the tie from his neck and starting over once more. "This means there will be social functions that require knowledge of the rules of etiquette, someone who is willing to work night and day to wrangle my increasingly difficult schedule and, above all, I need someone who is capable at my side. I do not need a 'burn talker.'"

She flushed a little. Had she mentioned that to him? "You might if you burn your hand." She said cheerily. This man was grumpy all right. But it was probably because he had to sleep in one of the chairs. It looked like he was destroying his poor tie, too. She had to do something about that. If it was anything like the ties she sees in the stores she usually passes by, it probably cost more than her rent did every month.

Rin stepped forward and before Sesshomaru could protest, she swatted his hands away from his tie. Expertly, she flipped up his collar, smoothed the silk fabric along his neck and then began to fix his tie, taking great care to make sure the knot was perfect. "Mr. Taisho, I understand that you don't want an assistant like me on this trip. I realize I'm not fancy like you expected." She kept her voice soft and apologetic, and he'd gone silent. "But I am really good at keeping out of the way. And I'm really good at managing a schedule." She tweaked the now perfect tie and then smiled at him. "And I can certainly tie a mean tie."

Sesshoamru frowned at his reflection, touching the tie as if he didn't quite believe she'd fixed it so quickly, or so effortlessly.

She then ran a hand down the front of his jacket. He'd buttoned it wrong, too. She quickly undid his button and then redid it. Did the man not know how to dress himself? Good graces, he needed her more than he realized. "I'm real good with schedules. And men's clothes."

And when she looked up from fixing his jacket, she winked at him and she could have sworn he blushed just a little.

* * *

This was a predicament. Sesshomaru touched his tie again as he waited at the front of the plane for the stair car to arrive. Behind him, the flight attendant chatted with Rin, and both women were laughing and talking as if they were the best of friends.

Rin was totally wrong for this job. She was a train wreck, she wore polyester, and she was human. She'd cuddled against him last night in his lap. Though she tied a mean tie…and she was already here.

He wasn't sure what to do. The smart thing would be to immediately send her back to the States. But then what? Admit to his mother that his one assistant had fallen sick and now he had to rely on her tender mercies? Hear the same talk he'd heard a dozen times before about hiring more staff and acquiring a massive residence to live in the style that was expected of a high ranking demon?

He looked back at Rin. She was grinning at the flight attendant, pinching her dress to her side as the other woman safety-pinned it back. She was friendly, that was obvious. And surely she couldn't be that incompetent or Kagome wouldn't have recommended her. And she could tie a mean tie.

He sighed. He supposed he could give it another day or two. It couldn't possibly hurt things, could it?

Adjusting his cufflinks, Sesshomaru prepared himself to emerge as the stair car arrived. Below, there was already a crowd of paparazzi waiting, along with several people from the local newspapers. Here in Japan, he was an important person. How he hated that.

As the stair car came to the door, the attendant hurried forward and a moment later, the door opened. She gave him a warm smile. "Welcome to Japan, Lord Sesshoamru."

He nodded at her and stepped into the sunlight.

A roar of voices went up.

"Lord Sesshomaru! My Lord, look over here!"

"Mr. Taisho!"

"My Lord! Is it true you'll be looking for an eligible bride while attending the royal wedding?"

"My Lord, over here!"

On and on, the cacophony of voices shouted. Sesshomaru ignored all of them, raised his hand, and gave a polite wave. He put on a fake smile for the cameras, thinking that he loathed this part of his life more than anything else.

"Whoa!" He heard a voice exclaim behind him. "Look at all these people! You really are a celebrity here, Mr. Taisho?"

"Yes." He said, pausing at the top of the stairs. "And only here I'm better well known, I'm afraid."

'Whoa, these people are crazy over him. They must not know him real well.' Rin thought to herself. Sure, Sesshoamru Taisho looked suave and elegant, but he was not a nice man. He'd done nothing but snarl at her since she'd woken up, mocked her clothes, said she wasn't a good employee, and then tried to ignore her. She could see why his last assistant hadn't wanted to come with him.

She'd been nice and fixed his clothes, and had he even said so much as a thank you? Nope. Still, he'd stopped talking about sending her back, which was a small win. It'd be a long trip, but she'd smile and take the triple time and enjoy her first trip to another country. She'd dealt with cranky men before, her next door neighbor growing up wasn't exactly a nice man, and she knew how to handle men like him. You simply ignored their pissy moods, remained pleasant, and they'd eventually come around.

Rin followed Sesshoamru as he walked down the red-carpeted tarmac and followed him to the limo waiting for him. It was ridiculously shiny, and the windows heavily tinted. Not exactly inconspicuous.

She shouldered her bags as assistants loaded his luggage into the car. No one touched her bright plaid suitcase. She guessed the help's luggage didn't get to mix with the demon lord's.

"Shall I take that for you?"

Rin turned around and saw a man in a suit and a dark hat. The chauffeur. He was young and handsome and had a nice pleasant voice like Sesshomaru's. He was also smiling at her with appreciation, his hand extended to take her things. She beamed a smile at him. "I'm not sure where my stuff is supposed to go."

"It can go up front with me. Just like you." He winked at her. "So I can listen to that lovely voice of yours."

She grinned at him. "Well, thank you very, sir."

"Mr. Satoh." He said, taking her bag and giving her another flirty smile.

"Mr. Satoh." She repeated, smiling and extending her hand. "I'm—"

"—my assistant." Sesshomaru cut in, clearly displeased. "And she will have to ride in the back with me to go over my schedule."

Mr. Satoh's face lost its friendly smile and he gave Sesshomaru a crisp nod. "Of course, my Lord."

Rin gave the driver an apologetic look as he opened the door to the back seat and Sesshomaru slid inside. She was surprised by that, as it was common for women to get into the car first, but Sesshomaru was a lord, so she guessed she fell below him on the totem pole. Keeping a bright smile on her face, she entered the car after her new boss.

He didn't speak to her for at least a half hour. They drove on, and she was distinctly uncomfortable as they headed through the city. After a while, though, she stopped caring what he thought and just enjoyed the sights. Japan was gorgeous. The streets were crowded and full of people. The buildings that lofted above them were so tall and colorful. It was almost like she was back in New York, except here it seemed everything was high tech. In the distance, mountains soared above the rooftops, and everywhere, people walked the streets. It was so full of life and busy, like all the articles she read about in articles on the web and on different sites.

They turned down the main thoroughfare and Sesshomaru looked behind them. He groaned.

"What is it?" Rin turned to look, but all she saw were more cars.

"The paparazzi are still following us."

She gave him a surprised look. "Why wouldn't they be?"

"I had rather hoped they had given up once we left the airport."

She glanced out the window. It seemed like they were heading through the heart of the city. In a limo. This man didn't know the first thing about subtlety, did he? But she didn't point that out, because he was already cranky and he could still send her home. So instead, she asked, "Where are we going?"

"The Imperial Hotel Tokyo."

"Sounds fancy."

He shot her a vaguely scathing look. "It is one of the most upscale hotels in Japan."

"So why not stay with your mama?"

He toyed with his cufflinks. "We are not staying with my mother because of various reasons."

"What reasons?" She couldn't help but ask.

He glared at her again, as if he didn't like the line of questions, but he still answered. "My mother firmly believes in the appearance of royalty, even though times have changed. She believes that no titled man of good family should have less than thirty staff on hand at all times and should never give less than the appearance of complete and utter wealth to the common people. This includes several estates, as many society functions as one can possibly squeeze into one's schedule and, of course, keeping it all heavily documented in the newspapers and magazines so everyone else can see just how very regal we are." His tone dripped with contempt.

Rin blinked, trying to process this information. "Did you say . . . thirty staff?"

"At the very least."

"Wow, for what?"

"Whatever is deemed necessary. Which includes several valets, a butler, kitchen staff, maids, an equerry—"

"Someone to cut your meat into tiny royal chunks for you—"

He snorted, but a hint of a smile curved his face. "Something along those lines, yes."

"It sounds a bit ridiculous."

"It is utterly ridiculous." He agreed. "I spent my formative years being completely and totally hovered over by one person after another. I hate the fuss. Loathe it. I refuse to live that way." For a moment, he looked so utterly tired that Rin felt sorry for him. Then, he glanced at her again as if remembering himself. "Regardless, that's why we're staying at the hotel."

"I see."

The car fell silent again. She glanced over at Griffin, but he looked so miserable, a stress-line between his brows, that she felt guilty for bringing the conversation around to family when it clearly bothered him. Maybe a change of pace would do them both good. "Well, Mr. Taisho," She said in a cheery voice, dragging a pen and a notepad out of her purse. "Why don't we work on your schedule while we wait?"

He continued to stare out the window so she bent over her notepad and began to write. "That sounds like a good idea." He said. "I . . ." His words trailed off. "What on earth is that?"

She looked up at him to see him staring at her notepad with a frown.

"What is what?" She asked.

"You cannot possibly keep track of my schedule on a notepad." He shot her an appalled look.

She forced another bright smile to her face. "It'll be fine, don't worry. Now, what's on track for tomorrow?"

"First of all, I do not know what is on my schedule. That is your responsibility. Second of all, I am pretty sure it does not belong on a notepad. Get out your laptop."

The man was such a snob. Paper wasn't good enough for him? "I don't have one."

"What do you mean, you don't have a laptop?" He gave her an incredulous look. "Everyone has a laptop."

"Not everyone, Mr. Fancypants." Rin poised her pen over the notepad. "Now . . . your schedule?"

"We are not doing this on paper. It is all saved online. We will just have to wait until we get to the hotel, and then you can borrow my spare."

"You have a spare?"

He gave her another scathing look. "Of course. I am not poor."

Ouch. "Well, I am."

"That's evident from your wardrobe." He stared out the window again.

All right, any budding likability he might have had was promptly squashed by that. She tucked her pen and notepad back into her purse and stared out the opposite window. Did the man even know how to be pleasant?

She sincerely doubted it. No wonder his assistant had come down with a cold. She'd have faked measles to get out of his company for the next few weeks herself, if so much money wasn't involved.

Sitting back, she watched the beautiful buildings of Japan pass by and thought of all the things she could buy her family with the bonus she was getting for this trip. That made her feel better.

Rin's initial pleasure at the sight of the hotel, a beautiful building that reminded her of the Ritz hotel in New York, immediately fled when Sesshomaru groaned. Cars were everywhere, people lining the sidewalks with cameras in hand. More paparazzi.

"This is preposterous." Sesshomaru said. "They are determined to make my life miserable on this trip, aren't they?"

Was he serious? "If you don't mind me saying so, Mr. Taisho—"

"I'm sure I will mind—"

The man was determined to be unlikeable, wasn't he? "It's your own fault."

That hadn't been what he expected, clearly. He turned and gave her an incredulous look. "What did you say?"

"I said, it's your own fault." She repeated, her voice mild as she peered out the window at the big, lavish hotel. "You're strolling down what is probably the equivalent of Main Street around here, in a big ass limo, heading to the most luxurious hotel in the city. That doesn't exactly scream 'Gee, I really want my privacy.'"

His mouth thinned. "Then what do you suggest?"

"Get a regular car." She said immediately. "None of this limo business. Get a regular car and just go to a regular hotel. Go down the back roads instead of parading down the main street. You'll be a lot harder to find that way."

"In other words, sneak away like a common thief?"

"No, like someone who values their privacy."

He turned back to the window. "It's a good thing I did not ask for your opinion, isn't it?"

The man was an insufferable ass, but she was being paid to put up with him. "I guess it is." She said and kept her voice cheerful.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: Well they are certainly not getting off to a great start in Japan. And it looks like it will only get harder as the story goes. But not to worry, Sesshoamru was pretty impressed with the fact that Rin could tie his tie very well. And hopefully you guys don't get too upset that I have him as if he can't do anything on his own. But hey, it makes the story funnier when he can't even tie a tie well. Anyway, next chapter will be out in a few weeks, so look forward to it and until next time! ^_^


	4. Chapter 4

BlueMoon Goddess: Back again with the next chapter! It's their second day in Japan, so let's see if Rin will make a better impression on Sesshomaru today. Already he called her his assistant, but let's see how that will last.

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.

* * *

The next morning, Sesshomaru was feeling a certain way. What was the word? Oh yes, guilty. He had to admit, he'd been a jerk to Rin yesterday. He knew he was, and yet he couldn't seem to help himself. That's just how he was. Cold, emotionless, not caring what the other was feeling. But with her…every time she had made a soft exclamation of wonder at a sight in Japan, he'd been annoyed. Every time she'd smiled at someone and thanked them with her soft voice, he'd gotten even more annoyed. It wasn't her as much as it was Japan, and the weight of being a member of a high demon family. Even in New York City, he didn't have an amount of anonymity. Mainly because he had a well-known business. He was recognized everywhere he went, to a certain degree. Here in Japan, he couldn't show his face anywhere without someone bowing, scraping and asking him about his business.

And having Rin tell him it was his own fault hadn't helped. Nor had the feeling that she'd been right.

That evening, once he retired to bed, he had a difficult time going to sleep. The hotel was silent, and when he'd given her leave for the evening, she hadn't checked in on him once. She'd just disappeared, as if she had been utterly grateful to get away from him. And that didn't sit well with him either. Jaken was his assistant, and he knew Sesshomaru's habits from long years of working together. He'd check in on him once or twice in the evening, even if he was doing nothing but reading a book, just to ensure that he didn't need anything else. However, Rin hadn't. He had released her and she had been gone.

Perhaps he was too harsh with her. She was a soft, fluffy thing and smiled so much that he was sure she had tender feelings. Though that never stopped him before with other humans and the occasional weak demon. But with Rin, he felt that maybe he could've for once been a bit less mean towards her. Hell, he probably made her cry with his cold mannerisms and pissed of attitude towards her.

It hadn't helped that last night, he had filthy, naughty dreams about her. That ebony mass of hair bouncing on her shoulders as he'd slid her into his lap and fucked her. Breasts pressing against his chest, and her mouth hot on his skin. She'd panted and moaned like a wild woman in his dream, no polite reserve there, and his mind had been filled with that soft voice crying out for more as he pounded into her.

He had woken up in a sweat and his dick was aching. Talk about embarrassing. A cold shower had rid him of his erection, but not of the unsettling memories of her mouth on him. Those had lingered, even as he'd dressed himself in a pair of slacks and blazer. His tie hung around his neck, waiting for her to fix it. And Sesshomaru tried not to picture her standing in front of him, then grabbing the tie and dragging him down for a kiss. Because he wasn't attracted to her. He wasn't, really.

So he tried to tie it himself. And naturally, he couldn't. This was ridiculous. He was a business tycoon and the son of one of the most powerful demons from Japan and he couldn't tie a godforsaken tie. How pathetic. He gave it three tries before he sighed, crossed his hotel room and went and knocked on Rin's door.

"Be there in a sec!" She called out.

He pictured her sliding a bra strap over her shoulder, those ebony strands brushing her bare skin, and he shifted, uncomfortably aware of his dick hardening. Shit! He grabbed his iPad and held it in front of him.

A moment later, the door opened. Rin looked . . . different today. Gone was the wretched suit. In its place was an orange skirt that showed slim, pale legs, a pair or strappy black sandals and an orange blazer jacket with an enormous pin on one side. Her ebony hair was pulled into a bun, strands of hair escaping and sticking up at wild angles and making it look even messier than usual. Her eyes seemed dark and her lips were glistening and pink with gloss.

She smiled at him. "Yes, sir?"

He gestured at his tie. "Can you fix this for me?"

"Of course." She murmured, and stepped closer grabbing the ends.

That had been so very close to his visual from a few moments ago that he nearly groaned aloud, lust flaring through him. He counted backward from a hundred again, trying not to notice that the tip of her tongue poked out between her lips as she concentrated.

"All done." She said a moment later, and gave his chest a friendly little pat. "See for yourself."

The front of his shirt still felt warm from her touch, but he went to the mirror and checked. Sure enough, his tie looked immaculate. Better, he had to admit, than when Jaken tied it. "Very good. Shall we go down to breakfast?"

"Sounds great." Rin said. "I'll just get my bag." She disappeared into her room and he grabbed his spare laptop. When she returned, she had that ugly purse with her again. He bit back a smart remark and said nothing. Today, he was going to try and be nice to the woman. He really was. It wasn't her fault he was stuck here.

* * *

As they emerged from the elevator down to the main floor of the hotel, Sesshomaru half-expected to be bombarded with more paparazzi or at the very least, stumbling staff, trying to help him. To his surprise, they made it to the restaurant without any disturbance, and as soon as they got to the dining room, the maître d' greeted them with a smile.

"Your table is this way, Lord Taisho."

Rin beamed at the man and then gave Sesshomaru an expectant look.

He nodded at the maître d' and was surprised to see that a private dining room had been opened at the back. Normally when he visited, he was in the common dining room with the others. Why had he never been separated before?

They sat down and the host poured them two glasses of water and laid menus in front of them. "Your waiter will be by shortly to take your orders. Please let me know if I can get anything for you." And then he disappeared.

There was no gushing over his status. No diners staring at him as he drank and ate. It was silent, and they were alone.

It was dare he say it . . . nice.

He looked over at Rin as she spread her napkin in her lap. She seemed unaware that anything was unusual, but it was clear she was trying hard to please him today. She looked somewhat presentable, for one, and she'd tried to tame her hair. She'd even worn makeup. He stared at her slick pink mouth and that full lower lip that she nibbled on as she set his laptop off to one side and began to boot it.

She was young and innocent and she was trying. Really, really hard. It wasn't her fault she was completely out of her depth. She'd received a phone call from her friend asking her to take a last-minute job halfway around the world, and she'd been stuck with his discourteous self. It wasn't her fault he didn't want to be here, experiencing a host of social events he didn't want to attend for a wedding. But, still, an employer didn't apologize to his employee. A demon of his status certainly did not.

Rin's gaze flicked over to him and the smile she gave him was tentative and uncertain. Very different from her smiles in the past, and for some reason that made him feel even guiltier.

The waiter came by a moment later and they both ordered. He couldn't help but notice that Rin had ordered the same thing he had. Was she unfamiliar with the food on the menu? He watched her for a moment longer and she sipped her water with an anxious slurp, her gaze darting about the room. Yep, definitely nervous around him.

Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair and regarded her. "I apologize." There, that wasn't so hard, was it? He was rather proud of himself for doing so.

Her brows drew together and she looked confused. She glanced over her shoulder.

"I am talking to you." He said, irritated again but fighting it back. He wasn't that much of a demon (no pun intended), was he? "I realize I have not been the most pleasant of employers and I apologize for that. I am unhappy to be here and I am taking it out on you and that is not fair."

Her eyebrows rose again, as if she couldn't quite believe this admission. Then, it happened. That slow smile unfurled on her face, lighting it up. Her brown eyes danced with happiness and her entire face seemed to glow. She was rather pretty when she smiled, he noticed.

"Thank you, Mr. Taisho." She beamed at him. "That's really sweet of you."

He grunted and glanced away, not wanting to stare at her. But he felt . . . better. He liked that smile of hers. It was completely and utterly sincere and her eyes shone when she smiled. Not many people were sincere around him. Most people wanted to kiss his ass because of his status and who he was. However, he appreciated the ones who were straight with him. He began to pick up his IPad, then put it back down, because she was still smiling at him. Like she expected a conversation.

Well, since he was in a charitable mood, he obliged. "I trust your sleep was pleasant?"

"It was wonderful!" She gushed. "The pillows were as fluffy as baby lambs. I can hardly believe that they give those kinds of pillows to hotel guests. Aren't they afraid people will steal them?"

He nearly choked on the water he was sipping. "Steal?" From The Imperial Tokyo Hotel? Did she realize that the people who stayed in his suite were usually visiting royalty or celebrities? Did she think everyone had the same accommodations? But she seemed so thrilled about everything that he didn't correct her.

"Yup. Every time I went on a trip with my family to Georgia or Florida or somewhere else, they'd strip the room of everything they could carry off. They said it was expected." She shook her head. "I'm guessing not a lot of people do that then?"

"I can assure you, I have never stripped a hotel room of anything."

"You'd want to if you had my pillow." She said with a cheery nod. "Best pillow I ever snuggled."

For some reason, the mental image of a sleepy Rin, mass of hair tossed on her pillowcase, clasping a pillow to her breast did unspeakable things to his groin. He cleared his throat. "I shall take your word for it."

The waiter delivered their breakfast, and Rin was effusive in her thanks. She chatted with him about the weather, the delicious smells coming from the kitchen and how pretty his home country was. The man's attention was completely removed from Sesshoamru's, and he conversed with her for a few minutes as if they were old friends, and then disappeared.

He frowned as he picked up his silverware. "The staff is acting odd this morning."

"Oh?" She looked innocently curious. "I thought he was nice."

Of course she did. The waiter was clearly flirting with her. He decided to let it go and took a bite of his toast, then swiped his IPad and began to look at his newsstand app, enjoying the peace and quiet of breakfast without scrutiny. Rin was quiet as she ate, too, though that happy smile remained on her face.

He had only read a paragraph before a shadow fell over him, dampening the light. He glanced up and frowned as two men approached the table, one dressed as a chef and one as a waiter. He set down his IPad with an annoyed sigh. The silence had been too good to last, he supposed. Now he'd have to endure the stream of questions. Bracing himself, he frowned at the two men and leaned back in his chair. "What is it?"

Rin shot him a quick look, as if he was the rude one, and turned her smile on the men.

"Beg your pardon." The waiter said, and looked at her. "I'm sorry to intrude, but my friend wanted to thank you for your help last night."

He had no idea what the man was talking about. Or why he was looking at Rin and not Sesshomaru.

"Oh, no!" Her hands rose into the air and she shook her head. "You absolutely cannot thank me. It won't work if you do."

"What won't work?" Sesshomaru asked, perplexed. He glanced between the two men and Rin.

The cook said something in Japanese and the waiter nodded, translating. "Godo says the pain is gone this morning."

She beamed, proudly. "I'm so glad to hear that. Tell him to be more careful when pulling the bread out of the oven next time. I—"

"Excuse me." Sesshomaru cut in. "What are you talking about?"

That warm smile was turned on him, and he felt momentarily dazzled. "Burn talking." She said. "Mr. Godo here." She said, gesturing at the cook. "Had a bad burn on his hand, so I offered to take a look at it."

"Why?"

"I'm a burn talker." She folded her hands on her lap as if this was the most normal thing in the world. "It's a gift. My gramma, Kaede, is really good at healing those who have the flu or colds. My mamma is great with the chicken pox. But I'm only good with burns."

"I see." Normal humans didn't gave the ability to heal except for demons and hanyous. For this woman to be able to heal a simple burn was strange.

"It worked, my lord." The waiter said. "The burn has bothered Godo for days to the point that it made it difficult for him to work. But Ms. Noto worked on his hand and fixed it right away. Which is why—"

Rin raised a hand again, smiling. "Remember, no thank yous or it won't work anymore."

The men nodded and after a few more moments of chatter, they glanced his way and then left.

And again, Sesshomaru was surprised.

"Sorry about that." She said with a small smile. "I asked them not to come up while you were seated, because I know you said you hate hovering."

"I do." He admitted, and glanced around the empty private dining room. He could hear people in the next room over, but theirs was blissfully quiet. "Is that why we're here instead of in the main room?"

She nodded. "Last night, I talked to the manager to learn somethings about this place."

He was surprised at her thoughtfulness. "Really?"

"Yes, and I told him how much you value your privacy and asked what we could do to make sure that you wouldn't be bothered during such a stressful time. We discussed a few things and among them, we suggested that you dine in here if the room isn't in use. No one wants their breakfast interrupted." She admitted with a careful bite of her eggs. When she finished chewing, she added. "I told them that if you were able to enjoy your meal in peace, you'd probably stop by and tell the kitchen staff if you enjoyed it. I hope that wasn't presumptuous. I know they'd love to hear from you. You're a big deal to them."

Trade a few minutes of compliments for peace and quiet while he dined? It was pure genius. He powered his IPad on again. "That's very thoughtful of you. And yes, I am enjoying having a nice quiet breakfast, thank you."

"I'll move over to this other table and work so I don't bother you." She said, picking up the laptop.

He glanced at the laptop, then at her. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her to stay but he nodded instead. "Thank you. You have the schedule Jaken left?"

"It's all right here." She said. "I'll give you a rundown of the day when you're ready to go."

He nodded again and picked up his IPad and continued reading. The dining room was silent, and Sesshomaru sipped his hot tea as he ate his breakfast and read. The sunlight poured in through a nearby window, and it felt like an island of calm in this moment. Occasionally, he would look up and see Rin working on the computer, taking notes on her notepad, or occasionally chatting with one of the staff nearby. They were always smiling and happy to see her. All so damn happy around his assistant. He wasn't sure if he found that interesting or irritating.

* * *

Rin's first day in Japan was an exhausting one. Once they'd finished breakfast, she'd given Sesshomaru a brief overview of his schedule for the day. For someone who didn't visit the country much and wasn't getting married, he sure did have a hell of a social calendar. There was a museum visit, a fitting at a tailor, lunch with a respective company to have them on board. A visit to a charity of some sort, a photo op and interview for a gentleman's magazine that was doing an article on the top ten wealthiest demons this year, which from what she was told, Sesshomaru made it to the number one spot! But nonetheless, it was her job to herd him along and ensure that he got to them all on time.

It had been a struggle, but she was proud of herself for keeping things going. At one point, she'd panicked to discover that Jaken had double-booked Sesshomaru to lunch, so she'd had to make some phone calls and reschedule his appointment with his mother for the next day. She hadn't told him yet, because she knew he'd give her that particular down-his-nose look as if it was her fault. But she had managed it. She'd spent the day with her phone pressed to one ear, laptop on her thighs, and waiting in the limo as Sesshomaru went to one appointment after another.

It was obvious he didn't like any of this. His mood got darker as the day went on, though he was always polite and gracious to the people waiting for him. It was just Rin and the driver, Mr. Satoh, who received the brunt of his unhappiness.

Between his appointments, she had to also juggle incoming press requests to interview him, more requests to visit local charities, and somehow make arrangements in regards to the wedding. She had to make calls to speak with the wedding coordinator, who couldn't understand her, since she didn't speak English. But luckily she was able to talk to someone who did speak English, so she could find out what clothing colors should be avoided for royal appointments, and when and where the rehearsal dinners, wedding breakfasts, and the like would be held. The locations were secret, Rin was told, because the press would get a hold of the information and descend like a horde.

She couldn't argue with that. The moment they saw Sesshomaru's limo, they were followed everywhere. She really had to talk to that man about an inconspicuous ride. But at least the worst was over and he had only snarled at her once. The grueling day was over, though, and even if she hadn't had a chance to eat, or breathe, since the quiet breakfast, she'd gotten him to all his appointments on time and looking respectable, and now they were back at the hotel. He'd disappeared into his room for the evening and that meant she was finally free to explore Japan. Of course, she was so tired that all she wanted to do was take a shower and raid the mini-bar in her room to see what she could scarf down before breakfast tomorrow.

Rin took a long, hot shower, luxuriating in the wonderful soaps and shampoos that were complimentary with the room. She made sure to hide the bottles once she was done with them, so the staff would replace them daily and she could get new ones to bring home with her. Maybe Sesshomaru wouldn't mind if she snuck his extras, she mused as she wrapped one of the huge, opulent towels around her torso.

Humming to herself, she tucked the top of the towel in at her breast and headed into her room. She moved to the bed and began to adjust her towel when she noticed the closet door was slightly ajar. With a frown, she crossed the room and went to go close it, but something about it nagged her, and she peeked inside it instead.

A man stood there, camera in hand. "Don't scream." He whispered. "I can offer you a very beneficial deal if you're willing to work with me to get the inside story—"

Rin slammed the closet door shut. Then screamed.

* * *

A bloodcurdling yell arose from Rin's room, shocking Sesshomaru out of his reading. He flung his IPad aside, hopped out of bed, and bounded across the room to the door that adjoined their suites.

When he flung it open, Rin wrapped only in a towel, tumbled into his room, with her hands going to his waist. "Man in my room!" She babbled. "There's a man in my room!"

Stunned at the sight of her nearly naked, dripping wet, and now wrapping her arms around his waist, he remained frozen in place. Lustful fantasies bloomed in his mind, only to come skidding to a halt at her terrified sob.

A man in her room? It finally sank in. "You have a man in your room?" He repeated.

"Yes!" She sobbed, clinging to his back. "There's some weird guy in my closet!"

"Wait here." He said, then moved into her room.

The closet door was shut tight. For a moment, he wondered if this was simple female hysterics to try and seduce him. He knew Inuyasha had all kinds of wild stories about what girls would do to get into his bed before he met Kagome. Even he had experienced such scenarios himself. Still, Rin hadn't seemed the type.

So he approached the closet and knocked on it. "Who's in there?"

"Please don't kill me!" A muffled voice responded. "I'll come out if you promise not to kill me."

Astonished, he looked over at Rin. She was biting her knuckles, terrified, her eyes dark and huge on her face. And she was naked under that towel, completely and utterly vulnerable, and someone had broken into her room and tried to harm her!

Suddenly he felt something he never experienced before, a protective surge shot through him. He grabbed a nearby chair and jammed it under the handle of the closet door. He then looked over at Rin, who was trembling so hard that droplets of water were shaking off the ends of her wet ends. "Wait in my room." He told her. "Go through my clothes and put on something of mine."

She nodded and disappeared into his room.

He scanned her bedroom. It was tidy despite the fact that she'd been interrupted out of the shower. Her knitting sat on the corner of the bed, clearly waiting for its owner to return. Nothing else seemed out of place, so he couldn't see where someone had broken in. Furious, he went to the phone next to her bed and dialed the front desk.

"Ms. Noto." The voice on the other end said smoothly. "What can I get for you tonight?"

"This is Sesshomaru Taisho." He said in his iciest, most austere tone. "Ms. Noto has an intruder in her room. I have locked him in her closet but I want security up here right away. Understand?"

"Absolutely, my lord! We're sending someone up—"

He hung up. Across from him, he watched the closet doorknob turn, the man in there clearly testing it. The door rattled and he heard a soft curse. Sesshomaru moved over to the chair, straightened it, and then sat down, pinning the door shut with his weight. And he waited for security.

Luckily, the hotel was prompt. A mere minute or two later, there was a quick knock at the door. "Security."

He got up from the chair and headed to the door, letting them in. "He's in the closet."

The security team extracted the man, who was clearly one of the paparazzi. The man babbled and tried to make excuses, but the camera in his hand, and the fact that he was hiding between Rin's clothes, told the real story. They took him away and another man stayed behind to take down Sesshomaru's information. He told them what he knew, then glanced back at his room. His assistant hadn't shown her face since the others had arrived. "Rin? Can you come give your statement?"

A moment later, she stepped through the doorway of their adjoining rooms. Her hair was still wet, but had been finger-combed into loose, damp waves. She wore one of his button-up shirts, the hem of it grazing her thighs. It was big on her, though when she moved forward, he saw the soft bob of her breasts under the fabric. And holy shit, she was sexy in his shirt. He clenched his fists, willing away the inappropriate surge of lust he felt at the sight of her. Those brown eyes were still huge and troubled, and when she stuck her hand out for the security officer to shake, he noticed it was still trembling. She was terrified.

Him seeing her fear made this feeling of protectiveness arise once more. He put a hand on her shoulder and tugged her closer to him, ignoring the security officer's questioning look. As she gave her statement, he remained at her side, and she seemed to relax a bit, toying with the too-long sleeves of his shirt as she spoke.

"He told me he wanted me to work with him." She said. "That he wanted the inside story. I'm guessing he wanted details on the wedding, or on Mr. Taisho. He said he'd pay me a good amount of money."

"And what did you say to him?" The man asked.

She looked surprised. "What did I say? I didn't say anything, I screamed. Screamed and slammed the door in his face."

Sesshomaru smiled faintly.

"Thank you." Said the security officer, once she had given her statement. "We'll turn this information, along with the intruder, over to the police."

"What are you going to do to ensure this does not happen again?" Sesshomaru's voice was cold, authoritative, and he gave the man a hard look. "I am not keen on the idea of my employees being harassed while I am staying at what is supposed to be a safe establishment."

"Of course, sir—er, my lord." The man said, looking embarrassed. "We'll post a security guard on this floor in addition to the ones downstairs. You won't be disturbed again."

"See that we are not." Sesshomaru said.

"Thank you." Rin said in a trembling voice. "I appreciate it." Her arms crossed over her chest, and Sesshomaru noticed that the man's gaze slid there.

"We will call if we need anything else." Sesshomaru said brusquely. With a nod, he indicated that the man should exit the room.

The security officer left, and Rin shut the door behind him. Now, it was just him and Rin in her room. He kept his eyes on her face as she turned around, all soft and petite in his shirt. Her round face looked exhausted, though she tried to give him a smile. "I guess we've had our excitement for the evening," She said.

He examined her face closely. "Are you all right?" She didn't sound like her normal cheery self.

"I don't know." She admitted. "I feel like a dolt. Maybe I should have just talked to him instead of screaming my head off."

"He broke into your room. You absolutely did the right thing." He told her.

She gave him a tremulous smile. "I guess."

Sesshomaru was already impressed at her trustworthiness. She hadn't even considered giving details to the paparazzi. She'd immediately thought of defending his reputation. That kind of loyalty couldn't be bought, no matter the price. He'd give her a nice bonus when they got home. But she still looked so troubled and that bothered him, for some odd reason.

'I need a hug', she'd told him when she was drugged up on the plane. He considered her. She still seemed lost and small and lonely. So against his character, he pulled her closer to him and gave her an awkward hug. It wasn't his normal thing to do. He was terrible at comforting, in fact he never had the need to comfort someone. But she'd wanted a hug in the past when she'd cried. This was the least he could do, he supposed.

Rin stiffened in surprise and then melted against him a moment later. She was all warm curves, and he was surprised at how good she felt in his arms. His hand rubbed her back, and he tried not to think about her being naked under the flimsy fabric of his shirt.

Then he released her. "Better?"

A giggle escaped her. "I have to admit, Mr. Taisho, I didn't peg you for much of a hugger."

"It seemed appropriate, given the circumstances."

She turned and looked at her room again, then bit her lip.

"What is it?" He asked.

The knuckle went back to her mouth, and she bit down on it. "I don't feel safe. I'm sorry…could you check my room for me?"

He nodded. "Of course. Go wait in mine."

She tensed again. "But . . . what if there's someone in yours?"

She was in there earlier, wasn't she? He didn't understand this reluctance, but he nodded once more and put an arm out, gesturing for her to move in. "Come here, then. Stay by my side."

Immediately, she trotted to him and moved under his arm. Her breast brushed against his side and her fingers went to the waistband of his pajama pants, as if she could somehow hold onto him in case he tried to escape her. It should have been irritating. He hated clinging, and he hated hovering. But . . . for some reason, having her against his side, warm, soft and sweet, was rather nice.

Together, they checked out her room, opening up the wardrobes, going through every cabinet, the closet, and even checking under the bed. There was nothing. He checked her front door again and tested the locks twice, then latched the chain. "From now on, you should keep this locked. You can just exit out of my room."

She nodded at him. "Thank you."

He glanced at the clock. "It's getting late. You should probably head to bed."

Her face went white again but she nodded, releasing him. Those soft fingers slid away from his waistband, and for a moment, he felt regret, which was foolish. She was his assistant. A very temporary one.

"Thank you again." Rin told him, her voice soft. She gave him another smile, but it didn't hold its normal brilliance. "I really do appreciate it."

He gave her a quick nod. "Get some sleep. We have a full schedule tomorrow."

"Of course." She murmured, and stepped away.

After a moment's hesitation, he gave her another nod and retreated to his room, shutting the door behind him. He leaned against it for a moment, exhaling heavily. Good gracious, he should have been upset about the fact that the paparazzi were all over him on this trip, enough to warrant sneaking into his assistant's room to hash out a deal. He should have been furious that someone had breached their privacy. But his brain kept focusing in on Rin's bare legs under the hem of his shirt, the soft curve of her breast pressing against his side, those fingers brushing against his waist as she held onto his pants.

His dick was hard as a fucking rock. He reached into his pants and adjusted himself, but it was no good. This wasn't going down anytime soon, not with her softness and near nudity in his mind. He kept flashing back to her running into his room, dripping with water, the towel barely containing her heaving breasts—he headed to the bathroom. Shut the door, stripped out of his clothing, and climbed back into the shower, running the water on cold. Fucking pathetic that he had to cool himself off at the thought of his human assistant. He was going to kill Kagome when he returned, that was for damn sure.

Five minutes later, he was dressed in his pajama pants and climbing into bed when there was a knock at the adjoining door. He tensed, alarm shooting through him, and headed to the door. "Rin?" He called. Had someone tried to break in again?

When he swung the door open, she was standing there, still in his shirt. A pillow was clutched to her chest, and she looked up at him, eyes red and shining with unshed tears.

"Can I . . ." She paused and gulped, then continued. "Can I come sleep with you?"


	5. Chapter 5

BlueMoon Goddess: Alright I know you guys are anxious for this chapter, so I'm just going to get right in it!

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once Upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.

* * *

Oh my gosh, Sesshomaru was a sexy man when he was in a state of undress.

'Not that he wasn't normally sexy.' Rin reasoned.

In his jacketed suits and his proper ties, and his hair nice and neat, he looked mighty fine. Of course, when he was all done up, he was also incredibly unapproachable. Now he was freshly showered, his hair wet and matted down to his head and chest, and he wore no shirt. Which allowed her to gawk at all those muscles that an office man like him shouldn't have.

He had a nice chest. A _real_ nice chest.

Broad, with strong, triangular shoulders that tapered down to a narrow waist. His chest was smooth, too. When he hugged her earlier, she felt so save and warm in his embrace. To be honest, she was surprised to feel such warmth from him in that little moment. But she liked it. It made him human (in a sense), for that little moment. Like maybe he wasn't quite as cold as she'd pegged him.

It was in that moment which gave her the strength to knock on his door again after he'd gone back to bed. She'd hesitated, terrified he'd say no and then give her a verbal putdown to let her know what he thought of her suggestion. And in her rather shaky state of mind at the moment, it'd probably break her. But at her ridiculous question, he hadn't laughed, hadn't mocked, or anything of that sort. He'd simply opened his door a bit wider to let her in.

And she felt so relieved that she could have kissed him. She didn't, but she would have if he'd have been even the slightest bit receptive to something like that from a girl like her.

"Thank you." She murmured as she stepped into his room. She'd been here earlier, and she had been a bit ardent at how much nicer his room was than hers. He had fancy couches and fancy tables and an enormous window with a balcony that would probably have an incredible view of downtown Japan. The window was shut, the curtains drawn. It was late and getting later by the minute.

"You can have the bed. I will take the couch." Sesshomaru told her.

Her eyes widened at his suggestion. Mister cold and surly was going to give up his bed for her? Immediately, she felt guilty. That hadn't been her intention. She'd simply been scared to stay alone, sure that she'd have nightmares about strange men jumping out of her closet with a camera.

She looked over at his bed. It was enormous. "I thought we'd both sleep together."

"Did you." Sesshomaru said, his words flat.

Rin blushed. "Not like that. But look at this bed. It's the size of my apartment back home. We can just put some pillows in between us and it'll be fine. Besides, that couch doesn't look very comfortable." She admitted. "Especially for a man your size." Great, why did she say that? _Man your size_ , seriously, what the heck was she thinking? Now she was blushing again. "I mean, if anyone should take the couch, it should be me."

The room fell silent. Sesshomaru considered the bed, then her, then gestured at the pillow she was clutching. "Go get your pillows out of your room."

She jogged back to her room and grabbed all the pillows, then returned to his room.

He took them from her and tossed them onto the bed, making a barrier between them. "I will sleep on the right." He said, the authoritative note back in his voice. "It's closer to the door."

"Thank you." She said softly.

"And I'm going to read for a while longer. I trust that will not bother you?"

She shook her head. "I'm kinda wound up from earlier to sleep. Would you mind if I get my knitting?"

He shook his head and climbed into his side of the bed, grabbing his iPad and powering it back up again, ignoring her. This was perfect, really. If he was going to pretend like she wasn't there, she wouldn't feel so weird about asking to sleep with him.

Rin bounded up from the bed and went to her room, grabbed her knitting, and scurried back into his room. For some reason, her own hotel room didn't feel safe anymore, but the moment she walked through his door, she felt like she could relax. Breathing a happy sigh of relief, she bounded back into bed, dragged the blankets up around her, and then sat up, crossed her legs, and began to knit. The feel of the yarn and the needles was soothing to her, as were the repetitive motions. It allowed her to calm down and relax, and she began to chain her yarn with easy motions.

She glanced over at Sesshomaru, but he was silent, reading a book on his iPad with tons of words she barely knew the meaning of on the page. Looked like heavy reading. Huh…interesting that he was so smart when he didn't have to be. She went back to her knitting.

A comfortable silence fell between them for a long time. That was until Sesshomaru broke it.

"Why are you afraid to sleep by yourself?"

Rin glanced over, and was startled to see that he was looking in her direction. His iPad was flat on that divine chest, and his hair had dried and looked like its normal fluffier state. He looked different. Easier to approach. Cute, even.

She felt herself blushing, though she continued to knit, her needles moving. "You really want to know?"

"Would I have inquired if I did not?"

"You might if you were just being polite."

He snorted. "I can assure you that I do not ask people about themselves unless I am interested."

She supposed that was the case. "I guess I should be flattered then, huh? And it's nothing big, really. My apartment was broken into when I first moved to the city. I'd only been in New York a few days. I went on a job interview and when I came back, someone had broken in my door and trashed the place. Some of my good jewelry and money I kept hidden were taken."

"Did you go to the police?"

"I went to my landlord." She admitted, looping her yarn around one needle as she spoke. "He told me that since he was only charging me three dollars a square foot, I shouldn't expect much. So I just had him fix the door and I got a steel baseball bat. It was scary for the first few days, but after a while I did feel comfortable again in my home."

He was silent. She looked over from her knitting to see him frowning at her.

"What?" She asked.

"I don't know what part of that story is the most preposterous. I'm trying to decide."

"I can't help if I was scared!" She said defensively. "It was the first time I'd ever left home, and then someone came through, trashed my home and robbed me. It was rather alarming for a girl from Pennsylvania."

"I would suppose so." He sat up and leaned against the headboard. "That's not the ridiculous part. You are being charged three dollars a square foot?"

She nodded at her knitting. "It's a room in Bushwick. No windows or anything, which makes me sad, but I'm told it's quite a steal at four hundred and fifty dollars a month."

"A flat in Bushwick, Brooklyn? That sounds awful. I think my closet is larger than a hundred and fifty square feet."

She laughed. "I don't doubt that, Mr. Taisho."

As she glanced over, he rubbed his chest idly. Oh, that bare chest with all those muscles. She needed to quit peeking over or she was likely to get herself into trouble.

"Just call me Sesshomaru if we are going to sit here in bed together." He mused. "It feels weird otherwise. So you are renting a hole of an apartment in a terrible part of the city. Did where you work not pay well?"

Oh, dear. "I'm sure Kagome told you right?"

"The only information she told me was that you were free to come on this trip with me."

"Well in that case." Rin started, putting her knitting down. "I'm in my last year of college and trying to find another job after being one of the few to be let go from my previous one. If it wasn't for working for you, it would've been two months since I had something."

He rubbed his face. "So why still live here? If you are having money troubles, why on earth did you choose to remain here and not get a job or choose a school closer to where you were?"

"Because I want to be successful." She said softly. "I figured that all the truly successful, dynamic people live in New York, and that I should go there. My mama understood and told me to follow my dreams and that said that she was so proud of me to take such a big leap and follow what I want to do with my life. Plus, I have older brothers who encouraged me to make a good life outside of our little town. And also younger brothers who I need to set an example for by showing them that you can follow your dreams no matter what. So you see, I can't go home with my tail tucked between my legs the first time someone breaks into my apartment, or I'm having money troubles. I can't and refuse to give up."

"Older and younger brothers? I'm sure that was a pleasant time you had as a child."

Rin giggled at his snotty tone. "Well it was embarrassing at times. I wished my parents would've had another child so I could've had the chance of having a sister. Things would've been a bit easier." Especially during the time when she had first gotten her period. Her brothers where so clueless and so unhelpful that she had wanted to die of embarrassment.

"I assume it was."

"So what about your family?" She asked, picking her knitting back up again. "Do you have any siblings?"

"A younger brother, Inuyasha Takahashi." Sesshomaru said. "I am sure you have seen him before."

She nodded. "Yeah, I met him a few times when I had dinner with Kagome. I knew he mentioned a brother, but I had no idea it was you at the time. You guys don't really look alike."

"That is because we are only half siblings. We share the same father but have different mothers. He is just a hanyou. Both my mother and father are well-known demons that have been around for centuries, including myself."

She blinked in surprise and looked over at him again. "You've been around for centuries? How old are you exactly?"

"Around two hundred plus." He admitted, as if it was nothing significant. "Though for the sake of most humans, I would say that I am thirty in human years."

"Oh. Wow."

She already knew he was a demon, but it was still surprising to know that he was so old. Even though he didn't look like it. And the fact that both of his parents were well known and have made a name for themselves for centuries was something. It was no wonder he was so austere all the time. He was probably appalled by her. She swallowed hard. "I thought you were impressive, I just didn't realize how impressive."

She waved a hand at him. "It makes sense now, with your hair and your ties and speech."

"Ah yes, my _fluffy_ hair." His cool voice actually sounded amused for once.

Rin laughed at that. "Who said it was fluffy?"

"You did, on the plane. And then you asked me for a hug."

Rin sucked in a breath and tried not to giggle. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. How did you not fire me on the spot?"

"Because I am stuck. And because you are good with ties." With that, he set his iPad aside and flicked off the light. "Good night."

She fumbled to collect her knitting in the dark, then placed it carefully on the bedside and slid under the blankets. She fluffed her pillow and stared into the darkness at the pillow wall separating them. "Good night, Mr. Taisho." She said softly. "And thank you for being so kind."

"Kind is a much better moniker than being referred to as 'fluffy.'" He retorted. "Feel free to call me 'kind' in public."

She grinned, then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: Yea it was pretty short, but hey, I have to leave you guys wanting more. Plus you got a little Sesshomaru and Rin bonding time so you can't complain. But, since this chapter was pretty short, I'll try and have the next chapter up again this week. Until then, see ya next time guys! ^_^


	6. Chapter 6

BlueMoon Goddess: Well I'm back with the next chapter! Sorry it took so long, but I've been editing some anime clips and entered an AMV contest so I've been preparing for that. But I'm here so enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.

* * *

The next morning was a little . . . odd.

Rin had woken up out of a deep sleep to the sound of an alarm clock going off. As she usually did, she groaned and snuggled deeper into the pillows, rolling over. And then she jerked upright, because she realized she'd rolled over onto a nice, warm hand and pressed her breast into it. Disoriented, she looked around the room, which was much nicer than her own, and it took a moment for her to realize where she was. Oh. Right. She looked down at the bed and apparently Sesshomaru was a bit of a restless sleeper. The pillow wall they'd built had been almost demolished while they'd slept and his arm had snaked underneath the pillows. His hand was palm-up on her side of the bed, and she'd plopped her boob right into it like a big harlot.

Blushing, she crawled out of the bed, tugging at the borrowed sleep shirt to ensure it covered her panties, and then went to his side of the bed and shook him. "Mr. Taisho? It's time to wake up and get breakfast."

He opened his eyes and then turned away from her, stretching on the bed. "I'm getting up." He murmured, sitting up, his delicious chest exposed again. When he rubbed his face with one hand, she blushed to think about how she'd plunked her boob into it.

"I'm going to go change." She told him.

"Wait." He said, and got to his feet. "I will go check your room for you."

"You don't have to."

"Yes, I do. I don't want any other people in there scaring you."

He really was sweet once you got past his icy demeanor. Very gentlemanly, she decided. Once he had cleared her room for her to go in and change, she went in and wetted down her hair, then combed it to give it a wavy look. She put on her makeup, then headed to her closet to find something to wear for the day.

The intruder last night had knocked over half of her clothes and trampled on them. She picked up her favorite dress and stared at the gigantic footprint on it with a wince. Maybe she could get it dry cleaned. But she was low on cash thanks to tipping all the staff. She'd have to run out tonight to see about getting them cleaned—but wait, she couldn't. Sesshomaru had a dinner party he was attending. It'd have to wait a day or two.

Rin picked through her clothing again. Nothing else went together. Oh, dear. She had a red blouse and a green pencil skirt, but she'd look like an elf if she wore those together. She'd worn her black skirt yesterday. Maybe she could re-use some of her clothing . . . but she'd thrown it into a wadded ball in her laundry, so it'd need to be ironed and aired first. Biting her lip, she put on a pale yellow sleeveless patterned dress that she liked to wear with a dark green jacket, which was currently at the bottom of the closet. She put a short red knitted shrug on over it, hoping she didn't look too ridiculous.

She slung her purse over her shoulder and knocked on the adjoining door.

"Good." He said as he opened the door. "I cannot seem to figure out which tie will go with this shirt. I—" He looked over at her and stopped, staring at her outfit. She could see his face visibly ice over. "Rin, we will be meeting with high class demons and important people in the business word for photos later today. Your outfit is rather…unorthodox."

"I know." She said quickly, rushing forward to look at the ties thrown into a heap on his bed. "It's just that the guy hiding in my closet messed up a bunch of my clothes and stepped on them, and I have to get them dry cleaned. I'm so sorry." She told him, holding up a dark tie with a faint black pattern on it that wouldn't be too showy. "I'll try to stay out of sight today. I'll just hide in the limo."

"Sedan." He murmured. "I asked the driver to come in an unmarked sedan for the rest of the trip. It should be easier to get around."

That was her suggestion! She beamed at him. "I think you'll find it much easier. We can even go out the back if you'd prefer. The doorman told me of a special side entrance—"

He touched the fringed sleeve of her shrug. "Did you make this?"

"I did." She said proudly.

"It's hideous. Can you take it off?"

She winced at his cruel words and tugged it off, then crossed her arms under her breasts, waiting for him to pick apart her dress next. It didn't exactly match her shoes, but she'd honestly not given much thought to multiple pairs of shoes when she'd packed. She'd been in too much of a hurry.

He sighed. "I'm sorry. It did not occur to me that he had destroyed your clothing. You are just making do with what you have." He patted her arm. "Forgive my words."

Rin was shocked. He had . . . apologized? Over insulting her clothing? He had done that repeatedly. "Um, okay."

"We will fix it."

Her brows furrowed, but when he didn't clarify, she simply looped his tie around his neck and tied it for him, then straightened his jacket. His hair was tied in a long side low ponytail today, but even so, he still looked like the same old fussy, slightly stodgy and completely disapproving Sesshomaru. She wouldn't think too much about that, though. Smiling at him, she turned to the door. "Come on. Let's go get breakfast. I forgot to eat dinner last night and my stomach's been growling like crazy."

He frowned as they left his room. "Why did you not eat dinner?"

She waved a hand at his concerns. "I got distracted with all that went on last night."

"I see."

She saw several of the familiar staff as they went down to breakfast, and as soon as they were seated, she pulled out Sesshomaru's laptop and began to go over his schedule, writing notes to herself for things to remember on her little notepad. She ordered the same thing that he did for breakfast again, since she didn't recognize half the stuff on the menu and didn't want to seem like she didn't know better.

She noticed him watching her, and then she looked up from the computer. His hands were empty. "Did you forget your iPad upstairs? Do you want me to go get it for you?"

He shook his head and looked thoughtful. "What is first on the schedule this morning?"

She ran a finger down the screen. "From nine until eleven, you're meeting with the Japanese Historical Society—"

He nodded. "Go ahead and cancel it."

She blinked at him. "But it's my job to keep your appointments."

"I know. And I want to cancel that one. What is after that?"

"Lunch with the president of Izumo Corp?"

He grunted. "I guess I cannot get out of that one. He is an old family friend. Very well."

She pulled out her phone and then frowned. "What shall I tell them is the reason for the cancellation? Anything in particular?"

He shook his head. "I do not make excuses. Just tell them I am simply busy."

She nodded and got up, crossing the empty private dining room to make the phone call. He was right, though, no one questioned his cancellation in the slightest.

When she returned to the table, breakfast had been served and she intercepted the waiter on his way back to the kitchen and pushed a twenty into his hand for a tip. "Thank you."

He took it with a smile and winked at her.

Rin sat back down at the table and picked up her napkin. Breakfast this morning looked like rice porridge, an omelet, a mini salad and some toast. Yummy! At least she recognized the items today and wouldn't mind scarfing this down. "So what would you like to do this morning now that you've got some free time?"

"After this, I am going to have the staff go up to our room and arrange to have your clothing dry cleaned at their expense so you can have it back tonight."

She blushed. Did he really just say _our room_? "You don't have to do that."

"I do not." He agreed. "But they do. And then we are going shopping."

She gave an excited little wiggle in her chair. "We are? Souvenir shopping?"

He gave her a funny look. "I am a native of Japan, Rin. I am sure I do not need postcards or ridiculous t-shirts to remind me of the fact."

"Oh." How did he always manage to make her feel so stupid with just a word? She poked her fork at her omelet, her appetite disappearing.

"We will get you clothing. Something appropriate to wear."

Her heart thumped with excitement . . . and then it was followed by immediate hurt. "Because I look awful?"

"That, and because what you are wearing is appallingly unacceptable for what we plan on doing today." He said, salting his omelet and taking a small bite.

That took all the fun out of the thought of going shopping. Rin stared at her food until tears blurred her vision, but she blinked them away. She was sure he didn't mean to be so cruel . . . did he? "Mr. Taisho, I can't really afford to buy new clothes. Perhaps I should just stay behind." She said in a small voice.

"Nonsense."

She waited for more. Maybe 'you're indispensable to me, Rin' or 'I need your help today or even a 'you're great company.' Something that would tell her she wasn't just a worthless human who to him was an unfashionable burden on him.

When she looked up at him expectantly, he added, "I might have to change clothes for the royal portraits and you will need to be there to fix my tie."

She sighed.

* * *

Rin was utterly impossible to please.

Sesshomaru had thought she'd be happy to get new clothes. Not only were hers hideous, but she was constantly knitting. When he saw the weird little shawl she'd worn earlier, he'd realized she wasn't earning enough money that she had to create her own clothing. And that made him feel terrible. He hadn't even realized how underprivileged she was until then, and her embarrassment at not having anything decent to wear for the day was palpable. So he'd offered to take her shopping. She'd been excited when she'd thought they were going to a cheap tourist stand. At the thought of clothing, though? She'd snapped her mouth shut and looked like a kicked puppy.

He didn't know what to make of her. She had him all turned around this morning. He'd been nearly unable to sleep last night, fully aware of her body on the other side of the pillows. She talked in her sleep, too. No nightmares, just mutterings about home and if she had put the dog outside. Did she have a dog? Surely not with the size of apartment she'd mentioned having.

So he'd tossed and turned all night, listening to her mumble, before finally falling asleep sometime before dawn. He'd woken immediately, however, when the alarm went off . . . and was stunned when she'd rolled over and pressed her breast into his hand. Memories of that soft, full breast haunted him even now and made him break out into a cold sweat. He'd feigned sleepiness—hell, what else could he have done?—and she hadn't seemed to notice that he'd clutched the sheets at his waist to hide his hard-on. It was damn embarrassing being attracted to your employee. Especially when she was as completely inappropriate for his station as Rin.

They'd finished breakfast in silence and he noticed that she ended up pushing around her food more than she ate it, and he remembered how hungry she'd said she was. He supposed she wasn't a fan of traditional Japanese dishes. Still, it was nice to eat in private, and after their dishes were cleared and he'd finished his coffee, they headed to the kitchen to give their thanks to the chef and his crew.

He had to admit, she was a genius when it came to handling staff. At first, he'd been skeptical of her plan for him to stop by the kitchen, but she'd politely explained that if he did five minutes of chatting with the staff, he wouldn't be surprised by constant drop-ins and requests as he ate. And she'd been right. More than that, the staff positively beamed with pleasure as he went to talk to them and let them know how much he appreciated their delicious cooking. He enjoyed it so much, he told them, that he wouldn't mind a few wrapped sandwiches to take with them in the car and immediately the staff had scrambled to make them.

Rin pulled out her wallet and tried to pay, but everyone had protested so much that she'd eventually put it away. And to make up for the sandwiches, Sesshomaru agreed to pose for a few photos. Immediately, the staff whipped out smartphones, ready for such an occasion.

Ten minutes later, they left the kitchen, and Rin's good mood had returned. "That was really sweet of you, Mr. Taisho." She said. Her arms held the small brown paper bag of the sandwiches he'd requested. "You could tell how excited they were to meet you and get a picture with you. One-on-one time is important. It makes people feel valued."

"Is this a lecture, Ms. Noto?"

She sighed heavily. "No, can't I just comment on something without you thinking there's an ulterior motive?"

"No." He said in a cool voice, and she fell silent. Damn it all, why was it that he always ended up being the jerk in these conversations?

They were both silent as the sedan pulled into the street. This time, only one car pulled away to follow them instead of the fleet that normally trailed them. An improvement, he admitted to himself. The driver pulled into the shopping district of downtown Japan and parked in front of one of the metered sidewalks.

"Oh, dear." Rin said at the sight, and began to dig through her purse. "I don't have any Japanese yen on me. Just a few U.S. quarters."

"Just ignore the meter." Sesshomaru told her as they got out of the car. "They would not dare ticket a member of a well-known demon family."

Her brows furrowed at that. "But why not? You're not obeying the law."

"The laws do not apply to my status and family."

She looked like she disapproved of that answer, but followed him into the nearest store.

Inside, he scanned the clothing. Dark suits, neutral-colored dresses. Modest fascinators. Nothing with flash or a pattern. "This will do nicely. Go find a salesclerk."

"Here?" Rin asked, and her mouth was pulled into a frown. "This looks like something you'd wear to a funeral. I thought we were going to a wedding."

"I assure you it is not funeral wear." He said. "And even if it was, you are my employee. I reserve the right to request that you wear the appropriate clothing for the occasion, especially if I provide it."

She pursed her lips.

"You're stalling." He warned her.

"Mr. Taisho…" Rin began. "I'm not comfortable with you buying me clothes. It isn't right."

"I do not care how right or wrong, just get the salesclerk. We can't spend all day here."

An hour later, Rin was appropriately attired in a dark blue-skirted suit, with matching modest heels on her feet. He'd even managed to get her a somber, normal purse instead of that heinous saddle-shaped monstrosity she carried around, much to Rin's protests. Bagged up for the rest of the trip were several more sedate outfits, shoes, and fascinators to go with the more dressy outfits. Sesshomaru was pleased. She'd hardly fussed over any of the clothing, not fighting him over any of it. The entire purchase was charged to his personal account, which was why he was puzzled when she paused as they left the shop and hurried back to the salesclerk. He watched as she murmured a few words to the woman and then pressed something into her hand. The salesclerk beamed and thanked her with a nod. Then, Rin trotted back to his side.

"Sorry 'bout that."

"What was that about?" He asked as they exited the store.

"Oh, I was just giving her a tip." She said. "It's only polite."

He turned and frowned at her. "Why would you tip her?"

"Because she helped us?"

"Helping us should be enough of a privilege for her." He told her. Was that why the staff was so bloody friendly? Was she handing out money to all of them?

Rin snorted. "You sure do have a high opinion of yourself."

Of course he did. He was from a well-known demon family where demons and the occasional humans respected him. Plus he was well-known in the business world, so why shouldn't he? "Exactly how much have you been spending on tipping these people?"

"A couple hundred. I figured I'd just expense it when we got back."

"A couple hundred?" Out of her personal wallet? When she lived in a hovel, still in school and dressed like a vagrant? "Are you insane?"

She shot him another hurt look. "Excuse me for trying to be polite."

"Look, if you are going to hand out money to everyone, at least let it be my money."

"That's fine." She turned to him and put her palm out.

He looked down at it, then at her. "I do not have any money on me right now."

She arched a brow. "Like I was saying?"

"Let's just go." He gestured for her to get back into the car, when he spotted a garish stand at the end of the street. It had a lot of touristy things you'd see anywhere else, T-shirts, hats, bags, and other knick-nats. He paused, sighed, and looked at Rin's frowning face. "Actually, let's go to one more stop before we go on." He took her elbow and gently turned her until she faced the souvenir stand.

Her undignified squeal of delight was rather fun to hear, he admitted to himself.

* * *

Sesshomaru was just escaping from a dinner party when his phone rang with a very distinct ringtone. "Excuse me." He told the waiting Rin and driver, and walked away a few steps to answer the call. "Inuyasha." Sesshomaru said into the phone. "Why are you calling me at this hour?"

"Kagome really wanted to see how you were doing. However since she knows she's the last person you wanted to hear from, she asked me to call you."

"And she is perfectly right. Maybe she does have some sense. But tell her it is as expected of course." He added the last sentence sourly. "Lots of hand shaking, gossiping, dinner parties, and endless rigmarole. And the wedding will not officially start until next week."

"Well I'm glad it's you and not me." Inuyasha said with a laugh. "With Kagome not feeling so well lately, I rather be at her side than having to go to all those events."

"Do not use her as an excuse. Even if she was not feeling under the weather, you would not bother trying to go to these events anyway." Sesshomaru said mildly, glancing around as he paced down the sidewalk. It was getting late and the street was rather empty, which was a blessing. Rin leaned against the sedan and listened to the driver tell a story. He was standing a little closer to her than was polite, but she was laughing and smiling up at him. They looked cozy.

Sesshomaru didn't like that. Did the man have to stand so close to her? And did she have to look so damn pleased with the conversation? The limo driver pointed at a nearby building and he watched Rin shade her eyes and lean so she could see. When she leaned, her bottom thrust out in her skirt, rounded and rather . . . eye-catching.

"Anything interesting happen?"

Sesshomaru shook his head and looked away, thoughts returning to his phone conversation. "Other than a paparazzi sneaking into my assistant's room to try and bribe her?"

"Wow, they're pretty determined, aren't they?" Inuyasha snorted. "But speaking of Rin, how is she coming along?"

"That woman is…tolerable to a certain degree."

"Well don't try and be too harsh towards her. Rin's a nice girl and if Kagome ever finds out that you were treating her poorly, I'll never hear the end of it." Inuyasha said. "Anyway, I'll pass along that you're alive and breathing and that Rin is fine. Later." And then he hung up.

Sesshomaru ended the call and then stuffed his hands in his pockets and approached the sedan. The driver, which he couldn't remember his name, scurried away at the sight of him. Rin tilted her head, watching him.

"Everything all right?" For some reason, he found her voice soothing tonight.

"Of course."

She gave him a knowing look, and when he gestured that she should get in the car, she shook her head. "You don't look happy. You want to talk about it?"

"Do I ever want to talk about it?" He bit out.

That didn't faze her. She beamed a smile up at him, still cheery from her raid of the souvenir stand. He'd never seen a woman get so excited over ugly postcards and bumper stickers.

"You can talk to me. I'm a good listener."

He glanced over at the driver, then noted the street they were on. It was quiet, nearly empty. He doubted he'd get recognized at this late hour, but you never knew.

"We're not far from the hotel." He said, then hesitated. "Do you think we will get noticed if we walk back? I do not want to have to deal with anything tonight."

She put a finger to her lips and studied him. "Can I try something?"

"Be my guest."

She reached up and undid his tie, yanked it off and tossed it into the back seat of the car. She then reached forward and loosened the top buttons of his collar, rumpling it a little. She crooked a finger at him. "Bend down."

That crooked finger was doing insane things to his imagination. He forced himself to concentrate on the moment and not on his dirty thoughts, so he obediently leaned forward.

She took of the tie that was holding the ponytail together. Then her fingers dragged through his hair, grabbed it again and made one big braid from it. Once she finished, she pulled the single braid and placed it on his shoulder again. Stepping back, she surveyed her handiwork. Then, she shook her head and held out her hand. "Jacket?"

He slid it off and held it out to her and tried not to wince when she tossed it in the back of the car, too. But then she grabbed his hand and undid his cufflink, rolling up his sleeve. His hand was close enough to her body that he immediately thought of that breast pressing into his palm. He couldn't have pulled away if he'd tried.

Once she had finished rolling up one sleeve, she moved to the other. "Much better." She shut the car door and gestured for him to glance into the tinted window at his reflection.

The demon male staring back had a fashionable braid, a rumpled shirt, and looked nothing like his normal stuffy self.

"Now no one will recognize you." She said, pleased. "We can take as long as we want on the walk back." And she moved to his side and slid her arm into the crook of his. Like they were dating.

It was too presumptuous. She took way too many liberties, something that his mother or anyone in high demon society would scold both him and her at the sight of. But there was no one around, and it was just a quiet evening street, and she was smiling up at him like he was special and she wanted to hear what he had to say. And so he placed his hand over hers and led her down the street.

They walked a few blocks in silence, enjoying the night air. After a few minutes, Rin squeezed his arm. "Give me a second. These shoes are killing my feet." She leaned on him as she lifted one foot and removed one shoe, than the other.

He shouldn't have been surprised that she'd decided to go barefoot through the streets, he thought to himself. Maybe she never wore shoes at home. For some reason, the thought of a barefoot Rin padding around New York City made him smile to himself.

"Oh, that feels great!" She said with a relieved sigh, tucking her shoes into her free hand. She beamed up at him. "You look like you're relaxing a little, too. Feeling better?"

"…A little." He admitted.

"Sometimes I like to get away." She told him, lifting her face to look at the claustrophobic huddle of buildings around them. Her breath was puffing into the air next to him, but Sesshomaru wasn't cold. Her hand on his arm felt as warm as a brand. "You know, living in the big apple gets to be too much sometimes. Even my apartment doesn't feel like home, so I take a day and just walk around the city."

He could imagine that her apartment didn't feel like home. It probably felt like a cave . . . an unsafe one at that. "Where do you like to go in the city?"

"Central Park is pretty." She began.

He grimaced. Everyone always said the park.

"But I like the museums better." She continued. "They're so full of life. Not just the people there, but the things. Everything there represents so much knowledge and talent and creativity. I go there and I feel like I'm surrounded by the pinnacle of what people can attain, you know? And it refreshes me and makes me think I can keep going."

He was surprised to hear her say that . . . surprised and a bit pleased. That seemed far more intelligent an observation than a girl like her would have. "I am a big advocate of museums."

"Of course you are." She said with a brilliant smile. "It's clear you're so smart."

"Are you flattering me, Ms. Noto?" Because he was. Flattered, that is.

"Just calling it like I see it." She said. "You're always reading and trying to learn. I admire that."

"What is your major in college?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Business Administration with a minor in English literature."

"English literature?"

"Yep!" She told him proudly. "I always loved books as a kid and during high school I fell in love with the many works of Austen, Hardy and Bronte."

"Of course. I should have known you were such a romantic."

That full lower lip stuck out. "Are you making fun of me?"

He immediately felt like an ass. "Not at all. I was merely curious."

The hand on his arm tightened a little, as if she wasn't sure if he was making fun of her or not, and she was bracing herself for a cut-down. "I always dreamed of visiting New York and decided that it was the perfect city to attend college. After my family's encouragement, they agreed that if anyone in our family stood a chance of making a real living, then I needed to go there. So my mama saved every bit of money she had for months and I took a second shift at Billy's Joint to make ends meet."

"Billy's Joint? People really eat at a place with an absurd name like that?"

"Shush, you're distracting me from my story. Anyway, mama saved her money, and I saved my money, from the extra shifts I took up on the weekends. Once I graduated from high school, she gave me the amount she saved and told me she was proud of me for following my dreams. That I was leaving our town and making something out of myself." She looked up at him, her big eyes wary. "It probably sounds silly to you."

"Not at all." He told her honestly. "It is very noble, and your mother is right. I doubt there is much of a career in Billy's Joint." He couldn't even imagine.

"Our town is very small." She said. "And you can't get far on burn talking. So I thought I should get a fresh start. You know, let hard work speak for itself. I guess I was right, because without it, I'd have never get the opportunity to come to this beautiful place." She gestured at the narrow streets of Tokyo.

He tried to see what she was seeing, but all he saw was a city that looked more like it was nothing but modern and high in technology. He saw buildings that were crowded close together and modernized. He saw a place that felt stifling and choking when he was here. He glanced down at her, who saw none of these things, and was regarding their surroundings with a satisfied look. He liked her purity of spirit. He liked that she was pleased with the smallest gestures and didn't seem to care about the bigger ones. She had a good heart, he decided.

"So how did you get to New York, Mr. Taisho?" She asked, daintily sidestepping a puddle as they walked. "You obviously grew up here."

"I did. When I was eighteen, I decided I wanted to go to college in the States. Princeton University was my first choice, and I majored in finance with a minor in business management. After I graduated, I decided to stay and started my company."

"You must love it."

"It is adequate." He shrugged.

"Well at least you're used to New York and decided to stay in the States after you finished college. You know the first time I rode the subway in New York I was so scared. I was so worried I thought I'd get mugged every time I turned around. I always heard such horror stories about the subway in New York, but after riding it a few times I wasn't so worried anymore."

Sesshomaru gazed down at her as she chatted. Her hair was escaping the knot at the base of her neck, and black tendrils were blowing in the breeze around her face. Her feet picked their way along the sidewalk, and her hand remained in the crook of his arm. She was his employee, and yet she was trying to cheer him up because he seemed melancholy. That was thoughtful.

For a brief, crazy moment, he wanted to stop her in her happy chatter and put his hand under her chin. He wanted to cover her mouth, that soft mouth with the full lower lip with his and see how she'd react. Would she blush and be shocked speechless? Or would she fling her arms around him and give into the kiss with enthusiasm, as he suspected she would? Or . . . would she slap his face because she was his employee and she was just being nice by talking to him?

He patted her hand and continued walking, listening to her speak about her adventures in New York. It was clear after hearing a few more stories that she was terrified of the city. He didn't blame her. For a girl raised in a small town, he imagined it was a very different sort of place. But she never gave up, never turned around and went home. She soldiered on, because it meant that she would have a better life and more money.

When Kagome had saddled him with her, he'd been furious at her idea of a practical joke, in a time when appearances and scheduling was crucial. But the more he got to know Rin, the more he wondered how someone so strong and determined had ended up being in the position she was in. She was smart, kind and deserved a better lot in life.

Being able to attend college in New York was a step up from Billy's Joint. But answering a phone and filing didn't seem like a dream career for a girl like her. Heck, even with English literature as her minor, there weren't many jobs within that field that would be hiring. It was clear that someone like her never backed down though. And Sesshomaru had to admit that he'd never imagined himself admiring someone like Rin for her loyalty, stubbornness, and her resolve to do what she needed no matter the personal cost. And within that respect, he had earned her a place in his book.

* * *

When they got back to the hotel, Rin hesitated outside of her front door. "Can you . . ."

He nodded. "I will check it out for you." He did, and there was nothing in her room. She smiled her gratitude at him and closed the door behind her and Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel a vague sense of disappointment that she wasn't coming over for another night in his bed.

Twenty minutes later, a soft knock came at the adjoining door. His heart thudded and he jumped to his feet, going to the door and throwing it open.

Rin stood on the other side, clutching a pillow, just like the night before. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and her fresh-scrubbed face gave him a sheepish smile. "Would it be weird if—"

"Not at all." He gestured to his bedroom. "Come in."

"Thank you, Mr. Taisho." Her voice was clearly relieved. "You're the best, you know that?"

He was either the best, or the most ruled by his dick. Of that, he couldn't decide. She bounced into his bed on the left side and tossed the pillow she'd brought into the middle of the bed. He turned to look at her and paused. "Are you wearing camo pajamas?"

"Yup." She said, adjusting the blankets around her. "My grandma had some extra fabric so she made me some PJs. They're not the rough camo, though. Just cotton. You want to feel?" She held out a sleeve for him to touch. "It's soft, I promise."

That innocently worded request was enough to set off his body again. Damn it, why did he react to every word she said? He immediately flicked the lights off and then adjusted himself, flattening his cock against his belly and tucking the head into his waistband so it wouldn't tent out, just in case.

"Oh, are we going straight to bed?" She asked. "You're not going to read?"

"Not tonight." He told her. "Go to sleep."

"Alrighty then. Good night, Mr. Taisho." She told him in a cheerful voice, as if they were truly having a slumber party.

He sighed.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: Well, Sesshomaru seems to have warmed up to Rin pretty well. He even seems to understand her a little better. However will it last? Gotta read the next chapter to find out, so until next time! ^_^


	7. Chapter 7

BlueMoon Goddess: I'm back again with the next chapter! And yes, Rin and Sesshomaru's relationship is growing little by little, and this chapter it'll grow even more. So sit back, and happy reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.

* * *

 _Three days later_

"Oh, wow, look at this garden, it's beautiful!" Rin exclaimed as their sedan drove up to the palace of the demon family, the Soto's. Her hand touched the glass of the tinted car windows, as if she could somehow get a better look by pressing herself closer. "I've never seen flowers like these before in my town."

"They are plants." Sesshomaru said, not looking up from his iPad. "Truly exciting." He said in a dry voice, then scrolling through with his finger.

"Do you think there's a hedge maze?"

"There is."

She gasped so loudly that his head jerked up. "Oh, do you think we can go see it?"

He frowned at her. "These are the royal gardens. They are not for anyone to go gallivanting around in. Especially not today."

She looked disappointed. "Of course not." She clasped her hands on her lap, resting them on the laptop.

She looked rather elegant today, he had to admit. She was wearing a pale blue dress with a matching jacket and heels, and her hair had been pulled back with a matching scarf that acted as a headband. She was quite attractive, really. He felt like he should tell her that, so she knew her appearance met with his approval.

So he said. "You look very appropriate today. Well done."

Instead of giving him one of her brilliant smiles, she gave him a frown.

Dammit, what did he say now? He ignored the fact that she turned back to the window and grew silent. He had more pressing things to worry about. Today, he could no longer avoid his mother. Sesshomaru watched the palace approach with a sense of encroaching dread, and straightened the cuffs of his jacket.

The sedan stopped in front of the palace and attendants came to the door of the car. Rin turned to him with a wide-eyed look. "What should I do?"

"Do not address anyone unless spoken to first." He said in a blunt voice. "Try to tone down your smile, be polite, and stick to the other servants."

She flinched.

He raised an eyebrow at her flinch. "What?"

"Servants? I'm not a servant. I'm your assistant."

"In the eyes of high society, whether it be demon or human, they are one and the same. Now, you should let me out first." He gestured at the doors. "I outrank you. It is only proper."

"Of course." She murmured.

They managed to make it inside the palace without causing a scene, for which Sesshomaru was grateful. It seemed that Rin had taken his instructions to heart. She walked several steps behind him, kept her eyes downcast, and greeted no one who walked past. There was something that struck him as wrong about that.

"Lord Sesshomaru Taisho." The butler announced, and the great double doors to the common room in the palace opened.

Sesshomaru greeted everyone in the room with a nod, and before he could take two steps into the room full of members of the Soto family and other important members of high demon society, his mother was upon him.

Inukimi Taisho moved toward him, her hands extended. His mother looked as healthy as ever, tall and full of poise and grace. Her clothing, which consisted of a pure crimson suit with a white blouse and wore a fur pelt, which wrapped around her right shoulder and reached her spine. Her hair was silver that reached her feet and was styled into two long high ponytails with violet combs pinning it up. She gave him a critical look and then leaned in to kiss his cheek.

"You look well Sesshomaru." His mother said. "I'm glad to see that living in the States suits you."

Her voice wasn't very approving. She still hated that he'd decided to leave Japan and go to college in New York and stay there permanently. Though she did offer some contacts within Japan to seek out his company, so his mother wasn't that upset he decided to stay in New York.

"Mother." He said, ignoring her comments. "You look well."

"It is a wonder." She said. "What with Akira Soto marrying a human right before our eyes. Though I have spoken with her and she seems happy marrying Mr. Salvatore. At least their companies will have a nice merger in the future from this marriage. It will do their business good."

Count on his mother to see only the business side in with these two high profile individuals marrying.

A quick glance behind him showed him that Rin had moved to the line of servants in the back of the room and was talking to one of them. Good.

"Sesshomaru, glad you were able to make it." A hand clapped Sesshomaru's back, and he turned to look at the source. It was none other Totosai, a long-time friend of his fathers. Totosai was a famous blacksmith who created weapons during the feudal era for wealthy demons and the occasional human. In later years he expanded and created a weapons manufacturer company, but has since retired and passed the company onto a younger demon. Though he would still create a sword or two depending on the person.

"Totosai."

"Come and say hello to Lady Akira and her fiancée." Totosai said. "Interesting fellow that man is."

For the next hour, Sesshomaru greeted and chatted with various members of the Soto family and other high ranking demons he knew. Though when he talked to Lance Salvatore, who was the same height as him, friendly and charming. Sesshomaru respected him, and thought the human male was alright in his eyes. He silently wondered if Lance knew what he was really getting himself into by marrying a demon. Though he was well-known as equal in wealth to the Soto family, he was still a human and people, both of human and demon, will make remarks about their union.

Sesshomaru endured endless conversations about wedding colors and the weather for the upcoming day, all the while doing his best not to seem twitchy. It wasn't that he cared about the wedding, he really didn't. However, he'd abandoned Rin as soon as they'd stepped into the palace. He knew she felt out of her depth, and he hadn't bothered to help her with that transition. He felt a little guilty about that.

Of course, when the guests eventually moved to the portrait gallery for a photo session, which was for the Soto and Salvatore family, but with so many other important figures here as well, the photographer couldn't pass up the opportunity to take their photos taken as well. Sesshomaru wasn't surprised to see that Rin was standing next to the photographer, holding two water bottles and smiling as the man talked to her. He said something, and she laughed, that sparkle returning to her eyes. And he felt a surge of jealousy.

It wasn't helped when the photographer, who he noticed was young (probably two years older than her), and rather handsome, began calling the Soto and the Salvatore family to take their photos first. First up were the Soto family, which consisted of the bride, her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. After the Soto's finished along with a shot of just the bride, the Salvatore family went up. Those in the photo were the groom, his parents, his grandparents, uncles and aunts, along with first cousins.

Before getting a shot with just the groom, the photographer moved to Rin's side and took a water bottle from her, swigged from it, and then handed it back. He winked at her and said something which made Rin laugh. However, from what Sesshomaru heard with his heightened hearing, he wasn't finding it quite as funny.

"That's a rather obnoxious servant you have there Sesshomaru." Naraku said, coming to stand next to him, observing Rin in a way that Sesshomaru was not liking. "Flirting with the camera crew. Do you suppose she's new?"

Sesshomaru glared at the other demon, who had a penchant for going after any female, human or demon, he found amusing. "She is my assistant."

"She looks like an innocent little thing. Almost like a little puppy. It's quite fascinating."

"Don't even think about it."

Naraku raised an eyebrow at him. "Ah, is that why she's your assistant?"

He knew what Naraku was implying and he wanted to kill the demon on the spot. "No, she is my assistant because . . ." Because what? She was great at her job? She was decent, and her friendliness smoothed over a lot of problems? But in actuality, she had never be an excellent assistant. "I am borrowing her for the moment."

"Ah, I understand perfectly." Naraku chuckled and moved forward to take a seat. "Let me know if you're interested in letting me borrow her Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru glared at him, stepping forward and leaning in to whisper to him. "You cannot be attracted to her." He told him. "You just compared her to an innocent little puppy."

Naraku just grinned. "They are adorable creatures. They're exceedingly . . . _energetic_."

"Mr. Taisho, it's your turn." The photographer was saying over and over again, waving his hand to try and get his attention.

Sesshomaru straightened, masking his emotions, as he made his way over to where the photographer wanted him to stand. "Apologies."

"Hang on just a sec." Rin said, and stepped forward. She rushed to his side and squeezed in next to him. Likely she hadn't seen the looks on some of the other demons faces or Rin would have flinched away. Excluding the amused look on his mother's and Naraku's faces. As it was, she trotted up to him, straightened out the wrinkles and lint on his suit jacket. Then, she beamed up at him. "Perfect! There you go, Sesshomaru." And she bounded away again.

He was scowling when they took the photographs. As soon as the photos were finished, he made a beeline for Rin. She turned to look at him, a bright smile on her face. "You looked wonderful Sesshomaru—"

He grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her away from the others. "Please come with me, Ms. Noto."

She did, her heels clicking on the marble floors as she tried to keep up with his angry strides. He dragged her down to the end of a nearby hall, away from listening ears, though he was sure quite a few people stared at them when they left. He didn't care. Some would think he was disciplining an out-of-line employee. Naraku would probably think he was chastising a lover.

When he finally stopped and turned around, her wide-eyed surprise irritated him. "Clearly, Ms. Noto, I need to go over things with you again." He said sternly. "First, it is Mr. Taisho or Lord Sesshomaru."

"But yesterday you let me call you by your first name."

"That was only because we were alone. However, in the presence of others, you must address me formally."

She flinched. He ignored it and continued on. "Secondly, do not, and I repeat, _do not_ interrupt me in front of others of high ranking and status so you can straighten my clothing. It implies a familiarity that we do not have."

She gave a jerky nod and said nothing, her eyes huge on her face.

"Next, you are here to do a job. So is the photographer. So is the chauffeur. I am not paying you to stand around and talk to them."

"I'm sorry." She said. "I understand perfectly and won't make that mistake again."

"See that it doesn't happen again."

"Yes, Mr. Taisho." Her voice was so quiet and stiff that it didn't even sound like her. Her gaze was averted, and he knew that if he made eye contact with her, she'd probably be teary-eyed.

And that made him feel awful.

He walked away, furious with her . . . and himself.

Dammit, what was he supposed to do? Just ignore his employee stomping all over decorum simply because she was human? He didn't see anyone from the Salvatore family going around and adjusting Lance's ties or calling other demons without their proper title. Then again . . . the Salvatore's were well known in the business world, in both demon and human. So they know how to act around high ranking people.

Rin was simply out of her league in this type of situation. Which made him feel guilty again. He stopped just as he re-entered the portrait gallery. He should go apologize to her and explain that how they acted in private wasn't the same as how she should act in public or in front of other high ranking individuals.

"Is everything all right Sesshomaru?"

He turned to see his mother had appeared. "It is fine, mother. I was just educating my assistant on proper manners. The scene we had within the other room will not happen again."

She looked at him with amusement in her eyes. "Does she truly call you by your first name?"

"I allowed her to call me by my name when not around others. However today she has forgotten and I have already dealt with her." He offered his mother his arm and led her back toward the portrait gallery.

"You know, Sesshomaru, I have my head butler spend a few days with all of my new staff, especially the human ones, so he can educate them. It is clear that you need to do so with yours. It might do her good."

"There is no need to concern yourself with how I handle my staff." He was barely paying attention. He kept thinking of Rin's flinch as he'd laid into her. He hadn't been wrong . . . exactly. But he could have gone about it in a much kinder fashion.

She'd been so excited to be at the palace, and here he had yelled at her more or less in front of everyone. She had to be humiliated. So he decided he would apologize later. In private.

* * *

When he finally emerged from the portrait gallery, Rin was nowhere to be found. The photographer hadn't seen her since Sesshomaru had forcefully corrected her and no one else really noticed her as well. Just when he was ready to give up on finding her, he spotted a familiar head of ebony hair out by the sedan. Rin's back was to him, and the chauffeur, whose name he didn't remember, was patting her on the back, comforting her. Sesshomaru stalked toward them, just in time to hear a bit of their conversation.

"—they're not like regular people, much as we like to think so. It's just something we have to remind ourselves of. If we don't, they slap us back down." The man ran a hand over her shoulder. "Don't let it bother you too much, sweetheart."

Sweetheart? A furious retort lodged in Sesshomaru's throat, then died as the two of them turned around and faced him. Her eyes were red, and she'd clearly been crying.

However she gave him a lame, polite smile, clearly pretending all was well. "Ready to leave, Lord Sesshomaru?"

He nodded, noting the flat delivery of his title. The chauffeur leapt into action and opened the back door of the sedan. Sesshomaru gesturing that she should get in.

She shook her head. "I'll ride up front with Mr. Satoh. It's only proper."

And when she wouldn't meet his gaze, he didn't argue the point. When they got back to the hotel, he offered to check her room for her, but she declined. She didn't even come knock on his door later. Though he did leave the adjoining door unlocked, just in case she got scared and needed to come sleep next to him. Or better yet, to come cuddle.

Well know he felt like an ass. He was no better than that despicable demon Naraku. Lusting after a human and then slapping them down when they got too familiar.

* * *

The next morning, Rin was all business. Her hair was smoothed back into a bun that looked as if it was ready to fly apart at any moment. Her suit was sedate, and she didn't speak unless Sesshomaru spoke to her. In short, it was like an entirely different person had showed up to be his assistant that morning. And he wasn't sure he liked it.

"Rin? Which tie do you think I should wear this morning?" He said, trying to make conversation. Instead, she just picked one out without saying a word.

At breakfast, she'd ordered toast and coffee, and when she ate, she only nibbled at bites and looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but beside him. She kept her gaze downcast and worked on his laptop while he tried to look at his tablet.

He tried, but failed. Her silence was driving him insane, and after a few minutes, he put down his tablet and looked over at her.

She gave him a cool look. "What can I help you with, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"You can start by letting me know if you plan on sulking all day?"

A bit of her old spark flared, then died again. Her mouth flattened. "I'm not sulking."

"Aren't you? You have not spoken two words since we sat down."

"Forgive me." She said in that icy voice. "I thought that was what you wanted in an assistant."

He got irritated at that. "If you are going to be like this, I can just send you home."

She gave him a blank look. "I don't think you can, Lord Sesshomaru."

"You do not?"

"No, sir." She gave him a challenging look.

"And why do you think that you are so very crucial?"

"Because you have a full schedule today." She said. "Jaken double-booked two of your appointments again so I have to see which one I can move to ensure that everyone is happy." She closed the laptop and gave him a tight smile. "But I suppose since you're so in control, you already know that, correct?"

He said nothing.

"Mr. Taisho, if I may be so blunt." She started. "For someone who is a powerful demon running an empire, I find that you are not very independent and don't know how to do much on your own without anyone else doing it for you."

Sesshomaru gave her an appropriately scathing stare. "I beg your pardon?"

"You should." She said mildly. "But in the meantime, I'd like for you to quit threatening my job, because I don't think it's in danger."

"You are fired."

"No, I'm not."

"You are not?"

Rin shook her head. "Sorry, but you may not like having a human here, but you still need me."

"And why is that?"

She tilted her head, and he watched as a strand sprang free from her bun. "What time is your first appointment today and where is it to?"

Was this a trick question? "I'm meeting with a board of trustees . . ." He tried to think.

Her eyebrows went up. "Go on."

"Over a . . . donation of some kind." He waved a hand. "That is what they are always about."

"Wrong. You're having a late breakfast with your mother at ten in the morning. Then, you're going to the cigar lounge with Totosai and other demon business men. And then later tonight, you have dinner with your mother's at Sage's." She gave him a prim look. "Which you would know if you knew anything about your own schedule. I, meanwhile, have packed your suit for dinner this evening, selected a different shirt for you to wear to the cigar lounge so it doesn't look like you're recycling your clothes, and have arranged for you to have a breather in between." Her voice was utterly cool. "So I've tried to accommodate that, and—"

"Rin—"

"Further, you can't tie your own tie, can't pick out your own clothes without assistance, and you don't drive yourself anywhere. Let's face it, Mr. Taisho, you'd be lost without someone here to hold your hand."

"That is ridiculous—"

"Yes, it is." Rin said quietly. "Which is why you shouldn't treat me like I'm garbage just because I work for you."

"I do not!"

"You constantly act like I'm not good enough to breathe your air. I may not be the assistant you wanted . . ." Her voice broke a little and she paused. "But I'm the one you got, so you just need to suck it up and deal with it."

He scowled at her. "I can drive myself."

She crossed her arms. "So drive yourself. Do you want me to untie your tie so you can do it yourself as well?"

He put a hand protectively over his tie. "No."

She waited.

He threw his napkin down on the table. "For the record, I am completely capable of handling such things on my own. You tie my tie because it pleases me to have it done. I have a driver because I am rich enough to pay someone else to drive. Are you going to chide me for not cooking my own meals and having someone else deliver it to the table?" He gestured at the breakfast laid out before them.

She said nothing.

Furious, he snatched his tablet off the table. "I am going to drive myself to my mother's for breakfast this morning. You." He said, pointing at Rin. "Can stay here and pack your bag. I do not need servants and I am not helpless."

"Of course not, Lord Sesshomaru." She murmured in that toneless voice.

He stalked away from the table. She wanted him to prove that he was capable of handling his own doings? Fine then. "I will see you tonight."

"Until then." Rin said, and sipped her coffee.

Him, helpless? Well he'll show her.

* * *

An hour later, Sesshomaru had to admit to himself that he was hopelessly lost in the streets of Japan. He parked the sedan on the side of the street and jerked open the glove compartment, searching for a map. Nothing. He slammed it shut and got out of the car, then began to pace.

So driving himself was harder than he'd suspected. It wasn't that he didn't know how to drive; he did. It was that he had no clue of where he was going. He could recognize his mother's home from the outside, knew the street it was located on. He just had no idea how to get to that street. It had been eons since he last came to Japan to visit and everything changed. Plus his mother had the habit of changing residences every few years. And the worst of it all was that he couldn't get his GPS to work properly. Frustrated, he tugged at the tight collar of his shirt . . . and then swore again when he felt the knot of his tie loosen.

Jerking at his tie, he turned to the car window and used the reflection to loosen it. Rin thought he was helpless? He'd tie his own fucking tie and she'd be forced to eat her words. Then he'd send her home in disgrace, and everyone would know just how terrible of an assistant she was.

So he undid his tie and tried again…and again…and again.

Someone passed him on the street and frowned, as if trying to figure out what he was doing. Irritated, Sesshomaru ripped his tie off and threw it on the passenger seat. He'd just go with a loose collar. He got back into the car and pulled onto the street. He'd just use the GPS on his phone. He pulled out his phone, and a red battery symbol flashed at him, then the screen went dark.

Fuck.

He tore onto the street, determined to find it on his own . . . and was lost again for another half hour.

When he eventually made it back to the hotel, Sesshomaru was in a foul mood. Ignoring the curious looks of the staff, he went up to his room. But instead of going into his room, he knocked on Rin's door.

She opened it, and surprise flared in her eyes, then wariness. "Can I help you, Mr. Taisho?"

He pushed into her room. "You were right."

"Excuse me?"

He searched her room for an open suitcase. There was none. Nor was there one by the door. She hadn't packed because she knew she wasn't going home. That was as relieving as it was infuriating. He turned to her. "I said you were right. Certain things I do not know how to manage on my own. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"I'm sorry." She said softly.

"Why are you sorry?" He snapped. "You are the one who was right."

"No." She said, and those big brown eyes smiled up at him for the first time in a day. "That's what I wanted to hear. 'I'm sorry.'"

Oh…well he wasn't sorry. He was pissed as hell! He didn't like the realization that he congratulated himself on how he was able to handle certain aspects on his own. How very liberated he was. What a joke. He was just as helpless as most snobby humans and demons. Without an assistant, he was partially useless. It wasn't a realization he was happy to make.

"I am a demon. We do not know how to apologize."

Her mouth quirked, as if she was hiding a laugh. "I noticed you're not very good with humility. Do you need help?"

"No." He said, but it sounded sulky even to his own ears. "I'm tired of needing everyone's help. I drove around for two hours this morning, couldn't find my own way to my mother's, and my hand is throbbing."

A small giggle escaped her.

He turned to glare at her. She should've been cautious of his feelings, damn it. He was having an uncomfortable moment. But she was smiling, her pretty face lit up with humor, and her fascinating eyes were sparkling. He relaxed a little. He supposed it was a little funny. Here he was, a member of a high demon family, a multi-billionaire, and an important man . . . and he was completely useless in certain aspects.

"May I see your hand?" She stepped toward him, her own hand outstretched.

He extended it toward her, annoyed with himself. "I beat a steering wheel into submission." He said grumpily.

She giggled again, and his mouth twitched as if it wanted to smile at her in return.

Her hands touched his aching one and cool fingers brushed over his skin. "Tell me about where it hurts." She murmured, her gaze fixed on his swollen knuckles.

"It hurts everywhere." He muttered. But her fingers felt surprisingly good in his hand. Soft, strong, and soothing.

"Of course it does." She told him. Her face was one of concentration, and he watched as she gently rubbed the skin between his knuckles and felt the bones of his hand with her fingers. "Hands aren't meant to be punching cars."

"Not the entire car." He admitted. "Just the steering wheel."

"Of course. Did you teach it a lesson?"

"Of course I did."

She chuckled again. "I don't think there's anything broken here." Her rubbing fingers were relaxing him. When her hand smoothed over the back of his, he felt an uncomfortable awareness in his groin.

"I can see that it hurts." She told him. "Do you want to give me the pain?"

"What?" He tried to jerk his hand out of hers, but her grip was astonishingly tight.

"You're supposed to say yes. That's how this works." Her hands kept rubbing his, working over his knuckles. She moved a little closer and his hand was practically pressed against her breasts. He wondered if she even realized what she was doing. She seemed to be utterly focused on his hand.

"Are you trying to do that healing business on me?"

Her hands rubbed on his again, and damn it all if his cock didn't respond once more.

"Tell me you want to give me the pain." She told him, but her voice was so husky it made him think about giving her other things.

"I will give it to you." He told her, fascinated. And because that sounded sick and dirty, his cock got even harder. He'd give it to her, all right. His mind was full of images of him giving it to her. On the bed, on the floor, with her pressed onto a table—

"Thank you." Rin said, and gave his knuckles one last rub, then released his hand. "Should be feeling fine tomorrow."

Oddly enough, the ache in his hand was nearly gone. Strange. He shook it out once more, frowning. "How did you do that?"

She shrugged. "I'm a burn talker. You rub the pain out. It's not a burn, but the concept is the same."

"Thank—"

She put her hand to his lips, stopping him before he could get the words out. "If you thank me, you'll ruin it and the pain will come back."

He nodded, spellbound by those small fingers on his lips. He wanted to kiss them . . . kiss her. She was all soft yet authoritative today, and he found it an arousing combination. Competence and confidence. He liked that in her.

She pulled away and gave him a smile. "You still haven't apologized."

"I told you, demons are quite bad at it." He said, fascinated by that ebony hair that was now trying to escape her bun. By those brown eyes that watched him. That light sprinkle of freckles on her nose and cheeks.

"It's easy enough. Just repeat after me. 'I am.'"

"I am."

"Sorry."

"Very sorry." He whispered. "I was being a jerk."

"Yes you were." Rin smiled again, and it was like the sun bursting from the clouds. She reached forward and straightened his collar, smoothing it. "Tie?"

He pulled it out of his pocket and offered it to her.

She began to fix his appearance, and he watched as she licked her lips as she concentrated. "I'm not a quitter, you know."

"Hmm?" He was captivated by those lips. He found them utterly entrancing, especially when they gleamed after she licked them.

"I said, I'm not a quitter." She repeated as she expertly looped his tie into a knot. "You can pile as much onto me as you like, but I'm staying. I don't run and hide from my troubles. You can be as mean to me as you want, Mr. Taisho."

She thought he was mean to her? He got frustrated, but . . . he liked her. Hell, parts of his body liked her entirely too much. "I am sorry." He told her, and meant it.

"I know." She said, and gave his tie a pat. "But I like you anyhow."

That smile did in all his self-control. His hands went to her shoulders and he dragged her forward a few steps, pressing his mouth to hers in a tight, awkward kiss. She was stiff in his arms, hopefully in surprise, so he relaxed his mouth and swept his tongue against the seam of hers, encouraging her to let him in. He felt her give a gasp, and then her hands grabbed his lapels, and she was kissing him back, her mouth opening to accept his tongue. And oh, it was glorious.

Her tongue swept against his, their lips melding, and he realized she kissed with all the intensity and enthusiasm that she approached life with. She kissed like there was no tomorrow. She kissed like it was her greatest joy on earth. She kissed and tongued and licked and made these low noises in her throat that told him how much she was enjoying the kiss. And his cock was hard as a rock.

He groaned when her tongue rubbed against his. He wanted to push her down on the bed and strip that dowdy, prim suit off her and see what she was wearing underneath. Camo underwear? He didn't care. On her, it'd be amazing.

She broke the kiss, mewing little pants escaping from her throat. "Oh. Oh, dear."

He blinked at her, dazed. "What?" He needed to kiss her mouth again. To feel it part under his tongue, to thrust into her mouth and feel her receive him.

"We shouldn't be doing this."

That was a blast of cold water on his ego. He stepped away from her. Oh, fuck. He was sexually harassing an employee, wasn't he? Dear God, he was a repulsive, repulsive man.

Her fingers patted his jacket, smoothing where she'd clutched it. "You're going to be late to your lunch appointment."

Fuck his lunch appointment. He scrubbed his good hand down his face. "Rin, I sincerely apologize for touching you."

"Why? It was a good kiss."

He didn't know what to say. "I should not have kissed you in the first place."

"Oh." She flinched. "I see."

"Because of who you are." He said quickly.

Her look grew even more hurt.

"No, no." He said. "It is not the fact that you are human. Well, it is partially that, however—"

"We should go, Mr. Taisho." And then she was back to giving him those hurt, unhappy looks all over again.

Hell, he had fucked up once more.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: Just when those two were building a budding relationship, Sesshomaru had to go and mess it up. Not once, but twice! But hey, at least they had their first kiss, so it wasn't all too bad. Also, how did you guys like that I added Naraku in the mix? It's been years since I added him in any of my InuYasha fics. And we can't forget about the fact Sesshomaru's mother made a scene too! I'm not sure if her or Naraku will be seen again, but hey, you never know. So until next time guys, you'll be reading this again in the New Year! ^_^


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.

* * *

To Sesshomaru's surprise and pleasure, lunch at the Soto mansion wasn't as terrible and as grueling as he thought it would be. He was asked by Mr. Soto to attend the breakfast along with his mother. Attending the breakfast was Akira, Lance and their families. He had met Akira a few times before at a couple of events in New York and he actually didn't mind her. She was levelheaded and rarely ruffled by the pettiness of what people were saying about her. Especially from the start that she was dating and now marrying a human.

They all ate a formal lunch, but when everyone left the table to mingle and walk around the grounds after the meal, Sesshomaru sought out Akira.

"Ms. Soto?"

She turned and gave him a delicate smile. "Hello, Lord Sesshomaru."

Like many in most demon royal families, Akira wasn't just a beauty. She had regal, elegant features, but there was a hint of sternness to her face that bespoke of a woman who got her way.

'There was no softness in her.' He mused. 'Not like Rin, who wore her heart in her eyes at all times.'

"May I speak to you for a moment?" He asked. "It is in regards to a personal matter."

"Of course." Akira said.

They walked into her families famous gardens. After taking a seat on a bench near an array of white roses, she asked him. "So, what's troubling you, my Lord?"

"A lot of things, actually."

"You can tell me." She winked at him, all of the austere dignity disappearing from her face. "I'm good at keeping secrets."

He considered for a moment. He didn't have anyone he could talk to except for her. Well, technically he could talk to his father and Inuyasha, but he didn't want to hear it from his brother that he fell for a human woman and he didn't' think he could talk to his father about something like this. So it had to be Akira. She would understand better. "How, exactly, does one woo a human?"

She laughed. "Well, for starters, you stop calling them 'humans'. It's rude." She leaned in. "Is this about your little assistant? I saw her. She looks charming."

He shot her a frown. "Why would you assume it is her?"

"Because I've never seen you lose your temper so fast, Sesshomaru." She teased, deliberately stressing Rin's inappropriate naming convention for him.

He groaned. "I have tried so many times to correct her, but she does not seem to understand."

"I don't see the harm in it. I think it's cute."

"It is not cute when she does it in front of other high ranking demons."

Akira laughed. "No, I can imagine not."

Sesshomaru sighed. "So . . . how exactly did you let Lance know that you were interested in him? It is not something I find easy to do."

"Goodness, my lord, have you not dated in the past?"

He had. But those girls had either been daughters of nobility in Japan he'd been tossed in with, or rich girls at an Ivy League college who were used to a very specific lifestyle—glamorous parties, country clubs, and anything that involved society. "This is different."

"Well…when I decided I wanted to meet Lance, I invited him to dinner to discuss a business proposition. Of course, I used that as an excuse just to see him. But I made sure both my father and my grandfather were unavailable, so it was just the two of us. I feigned a great interest in his new music venture, which he came to Japan to look for international artists. He invited me to hear some acts and I showed up every day listening to new performers as well as giving insight to some music as well. After that, he got the hint."

He was impressed. "Your family did not find that extremely forward?"

"I didn't ask their opinion." She said, her eyes shining. "I had already turned down four proposals from suitable candidates in the last two years. I think they were suspecting that I was going to marry who I wanted and when I wanted to, not who they thought I should marry." She then shook her head. "It's a good thing though that his family is from money and is well known in the business world, otherwise I don't think they would've approved much."

"Never mind the fact that he is human." He added with a grimace.

"You really need to let go of the human thing, my lord. That's step one."

"Fine, I will take note."

"Step two is to let her know that you're interested. Did you?"

He thought of the kiss they'd shared that morning. "I think she has an idea."

"Then let her know that you are serious." She advised. "That you're not interested in pursuing anyone else. You're not, are you?"

"I do not know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I mean, I am not sure." He bit out. "She is . . . different."

"How. Besides the fact that she's human?"

"She's very . . . American."

"I'm not following."

"She is from a small town, very small population." Sesshomaru said. At Akira's confused look, he added, "Almost backward country people. For example, Rin believes she is a burn talker."

"A what?"

He explained it to the demoness in front of him, who looked more intrigued than amused. "And she used this on your hand?"

He showed her his knuckles, which, surprisingly, weren't even bruised. Huh. "I must not have hit it as hard as I thought."

"Or maybe there's something to it." Akira said. "It's not very uncommon that some humans can do this. We demons are able to heal ourselves over a period of time, but this is something. Maybe there were miko's in her family."

"Perhaps?"

"Though it's not uncommon, Lance is very superstitious."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I originally set the wedding date for the thirteenth but he refused. We had to wait until the seventh of the following month, because he believes seven is lucky. And I've caught him do this ritual every morning before having a meeting with an important client. It's rather amusing."

"Have you ever caught him trying to heal someone with a touch?"

"No."

"Then I rest my case." He said. "My human is more peculiar than yours."

"Your human?" She gave him a shrewd look. "It sounds as if you've claimed her."

He sighed. "I do not know what I think when it comes to her." He still wasn't entirely sure he wanted to pursue her, but he found he was obsessed with her lately. Thought about her in his dreams. He had it bad, whatever it was. "I suppose I should clarify my intentions." As soon as he figured them out.

Akira nodded her approval. "Try doing something nice for her. Last time I saw you with her, you were running the poor girl ragged. Why not find out what she wants or needs, and provide it for her?"

He thought about this. Every time he pictured Rin, he thought of that wild hair of hers that was constantly escaping its confines. It made her look tousled and fresh from bed. It drove him wild, but he knew it wasn't entirely appropriate. "I am not sure."

"Is she accompanying you to the ball tomorrow night?"

"I imagine so." He wasn't sure if she had a suitable dress. He'd quite forgotten about the ball. He pictured her in a black dress, to match that hair of hers . . . and snapped his fingers. "I think I have just the idea. Thank you for your words Ms. Soto."

She smiled. "Glad to be of service my lord."

* * *

When Sesshomaru got back to the hotel, he spoke privately with the concierge for a few minutes, and had an appointment set for the next day. He then went up to his room feeling rather proud of himself for being so thoughtful. He even kept his surprise secret through breakfast the next morning, as Rin chattered on about his schedule. He had another business meeting this morning, and a luncheon later that every high demon business officiate had to attend. Then later that evening, there was a celebratory ball for the wedding. Sesshomaru was unlucky enough to be invited to both the wedding and ball, as a member of a royal demon family. Rin, however, merely had to look presentable for tonight, as she would be on call for the wedding, but not actually invited.

Which was why his gift was perfect.

Once he was done with breakfast, he folded the newspaper he was reading and tucked it under his arm. "Are you ready to start the day?"

"Ready." Rin said with a smile at him, and closed the laptop. She threw it into a large tote bag she'd taken to carrying around, a ghastly touristy contraption that read I LOVE JAPAN. He didn't criticize it, though. There will be enough time for that later.

"We have a full day." He told her as they left the table. When they entered the main lobby of the hotel, he pretended that he'd forgotten something and snapped his fingers. "I need to retrieve something. I will meet you at the car."

She gestured at the elevator. "Do you want me to go get it, Mr. Taisho?"

He shook his head. "No need."

Mystified, she headed out of the hotel and he turned and headed to the concierge's desk to make sure Rin's beauty appointment was set up. The concierge was all smiles, even if she seemed a bit mystified that Lord Sesshomaru was making a hair appointment for his assistant.

Five minutes later, he made his way out to the sedan and frowned. She was leaning against the car door, laughing and smiling as the driver, hovered close nearby and flirted with her. It was clear that the man was staking his claim, judging by the possessive way he regarded her.

And it pissed Sesshomaru off. He stormed back into the concierge's office. "I want a new driver by this afternoon." He informed her.

"Oh, I'm not really sure if that falls under my jurisdiction—" She began.

He cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Just get it done for me."

"Right away, Mr. Taisho."

He straightened his jacket and headed back out to the car. He scowled at the driver and gestured for Rin to enter the car. Sesshomaru scowled again when the driver winked at her and opened the door for her, and she thanked him. He slapped the business card given to him by the concierge into the driver's hand. "Take us here first."

"Very well, my lord," The driver said.

Inside the car, Rin opened up the laptop and began to go through his emails. "Your two o'clock got shuffled to three." She told him. "So I had to move a few things around to ensure that we can pick up your tuxedo from the tailor and get everything ready for the ball tonight."

"And do you have a gown?" Sesshomaru asked her.

She bit her lip. "Well, Mr. Taisho, I do, but it's way too expensive. I was going to suggest you return it."

"Nonsense." He said. "It was purchased with the anticipation of the ball in mind. You are required to attend while you are in my employment."

"I'm not sure I belong there." She hedged.

"Trust me, every fool in Japan is going to be at this gala tonight. You will belong just fine."

She winced.

Oh, hell. That wasn't exactly what he'd meant. "Do not worry about it." He added brusquely. "You are there to work, regardless of who attends."

"Yes, sir."

"And you should be properly attired."

"Yes, sir."

He sighed and glanced up at the driver. He wanted to knock on the glass partition that separated the front of the sedan from the back, but that would make him seem impatient. Still, they had to be arriving soon, didn't they? The concierge had assured him that the salon was no more than a few blocks away.

They finally pulled up to a busy sidewalk and the driver parked the car, then exited to open the door. Rin glanced up from her laptop, peered at the location, and frowned. "I think we're at the wrong place."

"We are not." Sesshomaru assured her. "I asked to come here."

Her eyebrows rose. "Why?"

"It's a surprise for you." He kept the smug expression off his face. He wanted to see her reaction. See that sunny smile spread across her face. "I will arrange for Mr. Satoh to pick you up in a few hours." He said, as the driver came to her side of the car and not his.

"Pick me up?" She looked even more confused. "But . . . I don't understand. Why? What are we doing here?"

"I have arranged to have a makeover for you. They will do your hair and makeup for the ball tonight."

She flinched again. "Oh."

He pursed his lips. She didn't look very pleased. Maybe she didn't understand. "It is so you can have an appropriate hairstyle for the ball and look like the other ladies."

"I understand." Rin said flatly.

Well, this wasn't going how he'd anticipated. "You are welcome." He snapped.

"Thank you." She said in just as nasty a voice. Then, she got out of the car and slammed the door, practically storming to the very expensive salon that he'd booked for her. Scowling, Sesshomaru stared after her. He didn't understand that woman at all.

When the sedan pulled away from the curb again and began to drive toward his meeting. He checked his watch and saw that it was morning in Japan, but the day would be in the early dawn hours over back in New York City.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Inuyasha. The phone rang six times and then went to voicemail. _Damn it. Wake up_ , he texted to Inuyasha. _I need advice. I made a hair appointment for Rin. Why would this make her angry?_

Ten minutes later, his phone rang, Inuyasha's name showing up on his screen. "Thank you very much for returning my call?"

"First of all, you're on speakerphone." Inuyasha said in a gravelly voice. "And second of all, you're a fucking idiot. What do you need at four o'clock in the fucking morning you dick that couldn't wait until later?"

Sesshomaru glared at nothing in particular at his half-brother's attitude. "Are you going to call me names the entire time? Because I can hang up."

"Hey, don't get pissy at me. You're the one who called at four o'clock in the _fucking morning_."

"Inuyasha! Don't be mean to Sesshomaru. If he called I'm sure he had a reason too." He heard Kagome say in the background.

"Your fiancé is right. I called because I needed your advice on something." Sesshomaru emphasized.

He heard shuffling until Sesshomaru heard Kagome's voice clearer. "I'm sorry about Inuyasha, he can be a grouch when he's tired."

"Hmph."

"Anyway, maybe I can help you in whatever advice you need?" She told him.

Sesshomaru thought it over. She was a woman, so she should know best from a women's perspective. "Perhaps you will be of use more than Inuyasha."

"Great! So what's the situation?"

"I made a hair appointment for Rin."

"Well that was nice of you. Did she know you made her a hair appointment?"

"It was a surprise." Sesshomaru said.

"And did you say it was a surprise because you wanted to treat her for working so hard?" Kagome prompted.

He went silent.

"You did make the appointment to treat her…right?" Kagome asked.

"I . . ." Sesshomaru began. "I told her that it was so she could be appropriately attired."

"…So you implied she doesn't look nice and she needed to get made-up?"

"I did not."

"You basically told her that she looked a mess."

He frowned. "But she looks inappropriate most of the time. She knows this."

"Oh, boy." She let out a sigh over the phone. "Let me guess, you've told her several times that she looks inappropriate?"

"Of course. We had to buy her new clothes because her other ones were tasteless. She looked completely improper."

"Oh Sesshomaru, you are so in the dark about women and their feelings. You do realize you messed up pretty badly right?"

"So what do you suggest I do?"

"Well first off, you need to be nice to her. She's a good person Sesshomaru."

"I know that." He retorted. "I was trying to do something nice for her. I thought she would like it. What woman does not want a makeover?"

"A woman who was just told she was ugly." Kagome replied back. "Just apologize to her and try to make it up to her. She'll appreciate it."

After her statement, he hung up. He drummed his fingers on his leg, thinking. Maybe there was something to what Kagome had said? Maybe he'd somehow offended Rin after all. He'd just have to be that much more complimentary when she returned, to let her know how nice she looked. Then, maybe, she'd stop frowning long enough to let him kiss her again. He thought about her soft mouth and how enthusiastically she'd kissed him in return.

He definitely had to shower her with compliments, he decided. He wanted to see her face blossom into that smile that made his heart pound. That smile let him know he'd done right . . . and that she was pleased.

And he liked seeing her pleased.

* * *

Sesshomaru finished adjusting his tux jacket then examined the way he looked in the mirror. Perfect. He then slung his bow tie over his neck and went to the door adjoining their rooms. Mr. Satoh had picked up Rin this afternoon and she'd run errands while Sesshomaru had met with the Japanese Museum Society to discuss a donation to fund a new wing. He hadn't seen her all day, and it was . . . strange. He missed her cheery competence and unbridled enthusiasm. Jaken took everything in stride and was more of an assistant than a companion. But Rin felt like the opposite.

Now that he was used to her extreme reactions to seeing new things, he found he missed that. He considered things with her eyes in mind. Would Rin smile when she saw a gift shop? Would she want to go for a walk tonight and visit the downtown areas lit up at night? They passed a dessert shop on the way back from the Soto's estate, and he'd stopped and purchased her a bag of daifuku, one of the best desserts that Japan was known for, and had them carefully packed so he could present them to her later. He wanted to see her face when she saw the expensive treat. He wouldn't mind feeding them to her, actually. Watching her exclaim in delight at the first taste, seeing her eyes open in sensual wonder as the flavors slid across her tongue. Watch her lick her lips with pleasure and turn to him for more. Maybe she'd lick his fingers, too . . .

Sesshomaru's pants felt uncomfortably tight. Adjusting himself with a quick movement, he counted backward from one hundred to get control over his body. When he was satisfied, he cleared his throat and moved to the door adjoining their rooms, strangely nervous. He had a small jewelry case in his hand, ancestral jewels that were attached to the Taisho name and had been since the feudal era. He wanted Rin to wear them tonight, so anyone who saw her in them would know he was claiming her for his own.

He wondered what his mother would think when she saw his human personal assistant wearing the family diamonds. Then, he decided he didn't give a damn.

* * *

Rin touched her hair, pleased with her appearance. She looked . . . pretty tonight. Very pretty, if she said so herself. The lady at the salon had babbled in a heavy Japanese accent, but Rin had caught enough to hear "blow-out" and "Lord Taisho" and "makeover." So she'd sat quietly and let the woman do what she wanted to her hair. A few hours later, her unmanageable hair was straightened into a smooth, shiny ebony mane. Her bone-straight hair was pulled into an elegant upsweep, a small flowered clip at the back of her head keeping everything in place. Thick makeup had been applied with an airbrush, and her skin was perfect, not a freckle or a rosy spot showing. Her eyes were smoky, fake eyelashes making her own seem darker and full.

'I look like a princess.' Rin thought. Sesshomaru wouldn't be able to find fault with her appearance today.

She dressed in her gown, too. The dress had been included with the other clothes that he had purchased for her, and when she first saw it, she'd thought it was a mistake. But sure enough, she was supposed to wear this gorgeous, elegant gown out to this party. The lady at the boutique had told her the name of the designer, but she'd forgotten. All she knew was that it was stunningly beautiful, and she got to wear it. She put it on and by gracious she looked different!

The dress was a beige sheath lace see through tulle tailor made floor-length gown. It was a cap sleeve, and had a sweetheart neckline with black applique designs on the dress. She had matching black high heels, too. She didn't have jewelry to go with it, so she left it alone. She didn't want to be too ostentatious tonight.

She wondered if Sesshomaru will approve of her looks now. She still didn't know what to make of him. The man kissed her and then insulted her. He gave her these intense, longing looks . . . and then drove her to a hair salon so she'd look "normal." He flattered her ego one minute, and stomped it into dust in the next. Which was really rough, because she rather liked him. He was smart, and took his duties very seriously. He didn't smile much, but when he did, it felt a bit like a present. He made her laugh with his dry wit, and he seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. And he kissed divinely, like he had all the time in the world to taste and savor her. Sometimes, she really, really liked him. And other times, she wanted him to take a long walk off a short pier.

There was a knock on the adjoining door, and Rin sucked in a breath, straightening out her dress. "Just a sec!" She slid her feet into her shoes. When she was presentable, she hurried to the door and pulled it open. "Yes, Mr. Taisho?"

He lowered his hand, clearly ready to knock again, and stared.

She preened a little under that stare. He had to be impressed with her new look.

"Rin?"

"Who else?" She smiled and touched her hair when his gaze went there. "Do you like it?"

His brows drew together. "You look so different."

Her happy bubble burst and her shoulders slumped. "I thought we wanted different." Hadn't he deliberately driven her to the salon because he hated the way she looked and was tired of her disgracing him?

"No, no." He said quickly. "It's fine. I was just surprised. You look like a different person." He gave her a quick smile. "It's good."

It didn't feel good. But she swallowed her hurt and blinked back her tears, because she didn't want to mess up those weird spidery eyelash extensions the woman at the salon had given her. "Well…" She said in a fake cheery voice. "What can I do for you, Mr. Taisho? Do you need your tie fixed?"

He held it out wordlessly.

* * *

Rin looked like a stranger…and Sesshomaru couldn't stop staring at her. The gorgeous ebony haired angel that stepped into his room, dressed in a sheer see through beige gown that made her breasts plump up from the built-in bra. Her hair was shiny and her eyes were dark and lush, and she looked so polished that she could have held her own with anyone in the palace's halls. And that threw him for a loop. He'd sent her there to get transformed, so why was he disappointed to see the perfect, elegant creature before him? Why was he sad to see that unmanageable hair of hers had been tamed into a sleek upsweep? She was exactly what he'd wanted, right?

He rubbed his face, frustrated. He didn't know what he wanted anymore. He knew he didn't want that sad, unhappy look on her face that was there right now.

She hadn't missed his reaction. She knew he wasn't thrilled, and the keen disappointment on her face was obvious, even though she was doing her best to hide it. "You look fine, Rin, really. I have just had a long day and I am sorry if I am not saying the right things."

"You don't have to say the right things." She said in a faux-cheerful voice. "I'm your assistant." She took the tie from his hand and crooked her finger, gesturing that he should lean forward. He did, and a moment later, she had his tie fixed and smoothed his collar down over it. "There you go."

"Thank you." He murmured, and glanced in the mirror to straighten his clothes once again. He wanted to say warm things to her. That she looked like a vision, and that she looked like a princess. But he couldn't get past the fact that she didn't look like Rin. It was making him feel rather confused.

"Shall we go?" She asked him, heading for the door.

Sesshomaru gave himself the once-over in the mirror, and she realized he was nervous. It made her feel a little better about tonight. Hell, she was nervous, too, and no one was really expecting much out of her.

"I have something for you to wear with your dress." He said.

"An employee badge?"

He gave her a wry smile. "Not a badge. A necklace and some earrings. They belong within my family."

"Oh." Her eyes widened. "I don't know that I could, Mr. Taisho."

"Well, I certainly cannot wear it." He said, fidgeting with his tie. "They would clash terribly with my tux."

Her voice rose in a hysterical giggle. "I'm picturing you with earrings on and it is kinda funny."

He grinned over at her, and she felt like she always did when he smiled, genuinely smiled, at her. Like she'd been gifted a present. "I'm more of a brooch man."

"Stop it." She said with a laugh, pressing her hands to the front of her gown.

He picked up a small case off the top of the dresser and opened it, then showed her the jewels. Big, square unadorned pink diamonds hung from two earring posts, and the necklace consisted of glittering diamond ropes twisted together, with three more square pink ones dangling from the center.

"Oh, wow, that looks expensive." She breathed.

"It is."

"Oh, dear." She touched an earring and winced. It was heavy. "What happens if I lose one?"

"I sue you for fifty-six million, four hundred and twenty-six thousand yen. Which is five hundred thousand US dollars."

She felt sick. She dropped the earring back onto the velvet tray. "Really?"

"No, it is just an earring. And it is insured, so do not be so nervous."

"What happens if I vomit on it?" She asked, as he picked up the necklace.

"Is that likely?" He indicated she should turn around.

"Pretty likely with how much it costs." She admitted, turning around. Oh God, this was just like something out of Pretty Woman, except she wasn't a hooker. She frowned at the thought. "Do you normally buy women's clothes?"

The cool chain of diamonds slid over her throat, and then she felt his hands brush against her nape as he did the clasp. "I can say with perfect honesty that you are the first one I have ever purchased clothing for."

For some reason, that made her feel better. She patted the necklace and then picked up the first earring. To her relief, it had two backings, one that was a normal gold clasp, and the other a wax ball that would prevent the post from slipping out of her ear. Thank goodness. Rin put both earrings on and gave her head a little shake to test them. "How do I look?"

"Quite elegant." He said.

"So in other words, nothing like myself."

"Nothing like yourself." He agreed, that odd look on his face.

And for some reason, that hurt her feelings all over again. He didn't seem to like her dressed up or in her regular clothing. She just couldn't win with him. Couldn't he just tell her he thought she was pretty and actually mean it? She sighed. All the fun of the evening vanishing again. Now she just felt weighed down, like she was wearing a wallet around her neck. "Are you ready to go, Mr. Taisho?"

He extended his arm to her in a courteous gesture.

She put her hand in the crook of his sleeve, and they headed downstairs.

To her surprise, it wasn't Mr. Satoh driving the car tonight. Nor was it the usual sedan. The Taisho limo was out again in full force, and an elderly gentleman was their driver. Rin smiled at him to make him feel welcome. He had to be nervous on such a big night. She knew how that felt.

"You changed drivers?" She whispered to Sesshomaru, curious.

He shot her a quick look of satisfaction. "Mr. Satoh will be unavailable for the rest of our visit."

"Oh, that's too bad."

"Yes, quite." He said in a voice that didn't sound displeased at all.

As they got into the limo, Rin slid over on the seat, smoothing her skirts and waiting patiently as Sesshomaru got in, checking her earrings and necklace again to make sure she still had them. When he got into the limo, his pocket buzzed. He pulled out his phone and then made a grunt as if he were in pain.

"What is it?" She asked. "Is everything okay?"

He stuffed his phone back in his pocket. "There is a special exhibit at the National Museum of Modern Art, and this week will be the last week to see them. However, with my schedule, I will not be able to see it."

"What kind of art is it? She asked.

"It is a few pieces of modern art from an artist that I actually purchased from years ago. He rarely shows his work in museums and you can only buy his work online. However, every few years he puts some of his works on display in museums. This year is the year he will show his work and the last day to see it, I will be working." There was a look of intense longing on his face. "I wish I could go."

"If it makes you feel better." She told him, "I wish I could go see this artists work, too."

He looked over at her, surprised. "You are not enjoying yourself here in Japan?"

Rin sat, tongue-tied. She wasn't sure what to say. She could tell him that she enjoyed his company but she found the whole wedding and society thing stressful? That she constantly felt like she was never good enough? That she kept waiting to slip up again and it made her so nervous that she'd almost thrown up in the sink before putting on her beautiful dress? Would he be insulted that she didn't want to be here? So she thought carefully, and then answered, "There's just . . . so much going on."

"True." He replied. "But you have done well, so do not worry Rin.""

"Alright, if you say so." She whispered. It occurred to her that it was the first time he'd called her anything but Miss Noto. And She had no idea what that meant.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: Again Sesshomaru has to make things worse. But, next chapter is when they arrive for the ball and hopefully Sesshomaru will get his act together and they will get back on track. So look out for the next one and until next time guys! ^_^

Also if people were wondering, here is the link to the dress Rin was wearing.

store/product/2015-Sheath-Lace-In-India-Ladies-Latest-Design-Japan-Formal-See-Through-Tulle-Tailor-Made-Long/715488_ ?aff_platform=aaf&cpt=1488165264214&sk=VnYZvQVf&aff_trace_key=7ac4cc22d43d402e93c11b141cce9f96-1488165264214-07956-VnYZvQVf


	9. Chapter 9

BlueMoon Goddess: Alright guys, here is the start of the ball, let's see what happens between Sessh and Rin!

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.

* * *

The limo pulled up to the palace, and slowed to a crawl as it waited for its turn at the front of the opulent building. As it inched forward, Rin grew more and more nervous. They'd passed the gates where paparazzi hovered. The grounds themselves swarmed with people dressed in finery, and the stairs leading to the massive doors of the palace were carpeted in red. She was pretty sure she was going to puke on that nice red carpet.

"Are you all right?" Sesshomaru asked her for the second time in the last minute.

"Just a little scared."

"There is nothing to be scared of." He said in a soothing voice. To her surprise, he put an arm around her shoulders and gave her an awkward hug.

It was strange to have him comfort her, but welcome. She huddled a little closer. "I've never been to anything like this. Well, I mean, I went to my high school prom, but it was held in our schools gymnasium. This is a bit different."

His mouth twitched. "Just a bit."

"I'm scared." She whispered. "I'm afraid I'm going to mess something up."

"I will be with you." He told her reassuringly, and that arm over her shoulders squeezed her again.

"Aren't you supposed to go and hang out with the royals and other business associates?" She asked him. "And I'm supposed to go hang out with the staff?"

"Something like that." He leaned a bit closer, and she blinked up at him, startled at how attractive he was in the dim light of the car. Not that he wasn't normally attractive, of course. But the way he normally looked at her, like she was a bug for squashing, was gone. In its place was a warm, appealing gaze. "Tell you what. I will steer you to the appropriate people so you do not get lost. Is that a good compromise?"

It was.

"I'd really appreciate it, Mr. Taisho." Then she wouldn't have to worry about smiling at a high ranking demon or business tycoon to be polite and having him look at her like she was garbage.

The limo stopped and the driver got out. Rin's stomach lurched again, and she gave Sesshomaru a terrified look. He smiled down at her, encouraging. "It is going to be fine. No one is going to be paying a bit of attention to you. They are all here to see Ms. Soto and Mr. Salatore."

She relaxed a little at that. He had a point.

The chauffeur opened the door to the limo, and a voice began to ring out over the crowd. "Presenting, Lord Sesshomaru Taisho."

Heads turned just as Rin slid out of the limo. Her eyes widened, and her stomach felt like it was trying to make an escape from her gut. But Sesshomaru was right there, shielding her from prying eyes as she got out of the car. She tugged at her dress again to make sure everything was proper, touched her jewelry, and then smiled at him when she noticed he was fighting a laugh at her actions.

"Easy for you to laugh." She muttered, but she put her hand in the crook of his arm that he offered.

And they went in.

* * *

Sesshomaru wasn't surprised to see that the party was wall-to-wall. Everyone who was slightly anyone in Japan and several surrounding countries had been invited, and no one wanted to miss out. As soon as they entered the room, the temperature went up by a few degrees simply from the crush of bodies, and he heard Rin's uncomfortable gasp as they made their way in.

His hand tightened on the fingers that lay on his sleeve. "Everything all right?"

"I didn't expect to see so many people."

He did. But that wouldn't make her feel better, so he simply patted her hand. "I will help you find Ms. Soto's equerry."

"What's an equerry again?" She asked as they descended the stairs into the ballroom.

"It is a word that the royal families use for a personal assistant." He said in a dry voice. "My own mother would never be so common as to use an assistant."

He heard her stifle a giggle. If she could laugh, she'd be okay. He knew she was incredibly nervous, hell, this wasn't fun for him, either, but he doubted he was feeling the same levels of panic that were written across her face.

A visiting dignitary nodded at him as he passed by, followed by a CEO of a software company in Europe. With Rin clinging to his side, it would be almost impossible to navigate the room quickly. Even now, people pressed and brushed up against them, casting him curious looks and Rin scrutinizing ones. They knew who he was, and they were trying to figure out who she was. Nearby, a photographer was taking photos of people as they mingled. Akira must have allowed one or two of the papers into the ball as a show of good faith, but Sesshomaru was displeased to see it. He carefully steered Rin in the other direction.

They made their way to the far side of the room and turned. Rin gave him a nervous look and swallowed hard.

That made him concerned. "Are you all right?"

She grimaced. "I haven't eaten anything. My stomach couldn't handle it."

He frowned and waved over a waiter with a hors d'oeuvres tray. The man arrived with a flourish and presented his tray. "Lobster wrapped in cucumber and prosciutto?"

She took one of the little confections and popped the entire thing into her mouth, chewing like a chipmunk. He knew it was nerves, but he had to smother a laugh. "It's good." She mumbled, putting a hand in front of her mouth to cover it. "Thank you."

"Eat another." Sesshomaru insisted.

She plucked one off the tray, and the waiter nodded and moved on. Immediately, another waiter came up with a small crystal finger bowl on his tray, a linen napkin beside it. It seems the Soto clan were a stickler for finger bowls, so guests could wash their fingers after snacking. Sesshomaru was used to seeing the little delicate bowls at parties, a slice of lemon floating atop the water to keep it fresh.

Rin crammed the other hors d'ouevre in her mouth and then reached for the finger bowl. She picked it up and lifted it to her lips.

Oh dear God.

He leaned in, stopping her before she could make a fool of herself. "Rin. You do not drink that."

"Oh." She looked at the little crystal bowl in her hand, then back at him. "It's not a cocktail?"

"It is for you to wash your hands." He gestured at the napkin, ignoring the shocked look of the waiter that held the empty tray.

"Oh." She repeated, and an embarrassed look crossed her face. She returned the bowl to the tray and gave Sesshomaru an uncertain look. "That was stupid of me, wasn't it?" She blinked rapidly, as if she were fighting the urge to cry.

"Not at all." He said, and dipped his fingers into the bowl to show her how it was done. Then, he wiped his fingers on the napkin and gave the waiter a challenging look, as if daring him to mock her in front of his face.

The man nodded at Sesshomaru, waited patiently until Rin finished cleaning her fingers, and then moved on to the next guest.

As soon as the waiter was gone, she turned to Sesshomaru and gave him a frantic look. "I don't think I can do this."

"Nonsense." He said. "You are doing fine."

"I'm not." Her whisper rising to a hysterical note. "I'm going to embarrass both of us! I don't know what to do in parties like this. I—"

"Shhh." He said, and reached out and caressed her cheek. "You are fine."

She looked startled at his touch. He didn't blame her, he was a little startled that he'd done it himself. But it had felt right and natural to comfort her. She was his to protect, damn it.

"You are fine, and you are beautiful." Sesshomaru reassured her in a low voice, and leaned in. "And I bet my entire wallet that someone else does the same thing that you did."

She gave him another nervous giggle that nearly broke his heart. "Your wallet is always empty, that's not much of a bet."

That little tease of hers made him feel better. "You have figured me out, have you?"

"Oh, I think I have you pegged."

God, was she flirting with him? He liked that. He liked that a lot. "I think you would be wrong about a few things."

"Is that so? Try me."

'I do not think you realize I want to kiss that little smile of yours right now.' He thought, but said nothing. He was just happy her nerves were fading. "I would love to, but I am afraid, I see Ms. Soto's equerry." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Stay right here."

She pointed at her feet, indicating she'd stay put, and winked at him.

And he gave a smile.

Five minutes later, he had Rin sent off with the equerry, who was all gentle smiles and encouragement to the poor frightened girl. When the two left, he waded into the crowd. He could do his time, spend a while talking to some business associates, some high ranking demons and his mother. Greet Akira and Lance, and hopefully do one dance or two and then leave.

"There you are, Sesshomaru."

Naraku. Well, at least one obstacle was down. "Hello, Onigumo."

He chuckled. "So formal. We've known each other for years, yet you still act this way towards me."

"Not at all." Sesshomaru said, allowing Naraku to steer him to a group of other high ranking demons.

They were all titled men, all about the same age, and all incredible assholes. Sesshomaru had hated them and their woman-chasing, champagne-swilling ways for as long as he could remember. They were definitely not his kind of people he would want to associate with.

"So." Naraku said, steering him right into the crowd of bored demons. "Tell us about that lovely little piece you came in with."

"She is my assistant." Sesshomaru said flatly, a surge of anger building. "Off limits."

"So you're fucking her?" Another man said to him, a cheesy smirk on his long face. "Are her tits real? In this day and age, most human girls have fake tits."

"I am not going to answer that."

"That means he doesn't know." Naraku said with a laugh.

"It means I am not going to answer it." Sesshomaru repeated, his voice stiff with fury. God, he hated these bastards. They thought they were better than everyone, and thus treated the rest of the world like it was shit beneath their feet. "She is my employee."

"Yes, but Genji fucks his little employees all the time."

"And I see she's wearing your family jewelry. So she must be doing something right." Naraku said in a sly voice.

"That is none of your concern." Sesshomaru said. He wanted to tug at his chokingly tight tie, but decorum insisted that he not touch it for fear of leaving it askew. His appearance had to be perfect at all times.

"I never thought you'd be the kind to fall for a human." The man next to him said. "Doesn't she come from some backwoods town?"

A surge of anger made Sesshomaru see red. Not only because it was rude to talk about humans when a member of one of the most powerful demon families was marrying one, but because Sesshomaru saw himself saying the same things just a few short days ago. Mocking Rin for where she was born, and condescending to her because of who and what she was. Hearing it from these asses made him realize just how wrong he'd been. He'd been no better than the spoiled men before him, and that was revolting to realize.

What an utter ass he was.

"Oh, come on." Said Naraku "Relax. It's good that I found you. Someone's been asking for you tonight."

Distracted, Sesshomaru scanned the room. "Who?"

"I'll show you." He said, and steered Sesshomaru away from the men. "So where did you send your succulent little assistant off to?"

"She is with Ms. Soto's equerry." Sesshomaru said absently. He tried to pick familiar faces out of the crowd, but it was nothing but a sea of tuxedos and jewel-toned dresses. "Why?"

"No reason." Naraku said smoothly. "Ah, here we are." He said as they came upon a group of ladies on the edge of the ballroom floor. "Lady Asano, I think I've found who you were looking for."

At the sound of the title, Sesshomaru stifled a groan, though he kept his face impassive. The woman who turned around was stunningly beautiful. Tall, brunette, and Japanese, Princess Sara Asano, turned and gave Sesshomaru a predatory smile. She swept past her ladies and extended her hand toward him.

He was forced to bow over her hand and kiss it. "Lady Asano. It is lovely to see you." Such a lie.

He couldn't stand the woman. They'd been tossed together at functions since they were both in their mid-twenties. The princess had been fascinated with him for years and tried to become closer to him by attending some of the same functions as him. His mother wanted him to marry Sara. He however, didn't want too.

"Lord Sesshomaru. I was hoping I'd see you here tonight."

"I'm flattered." He said in a polite voice. He took the hand she kept extending at him and tucked it into his arm, since Naraku had trapped him here.

"Well, I'll leave the two of you alone to catch up." Naraku said with a smirk at him. He pulled away, and Sesshomaru saw that Naraku headed to the back of the ballroom, in the direction that he'd left Rin with the equerry. Damn that conniving bastard. He was going after her, was he? As soon as he extracted himself from the princess's grasping hands, he'd make sure the spider demon knew to stay far the fuck away—

"It's so good to see you again, my lord." Sara cooed at him, leaning on his sleeve and pressing herself against the sleeve of his tuxedo.

"Likewise Lady Asano." He was not on a first name basis with the woman, no matter what she thought.

She delicately steered them past the crowd and into the center of the dance floor, making sure that everyone possible saw the two of them together, including the photographers. "I told myself I would be positively bereft if I didn't see you here tonight. How are things in the States?"

"Fine."

"I've heard you've sealed the deal on the Tani account. They are a hard family to convince and yet you were able to seal that deal in two days."

"They were easy to convince once I gave them an ultimatum." His words were sharp, and his eyes watched Naraku's retreating back. The demon disappeared between double doors reserved for the staff. Damn it all.

The princess laughed, batting at his arm as if he'd said something hilarious. She fluttered her eyelashes at him, and for a moment, he was struck by how she looked. Flawless makeup, flawless brown hair, high-cut dress, and dripping family jewels. She was stunning, of course. But all he could see was the artificiality of her appearance.

And he'd made Rin fix her appearance so she would be exactly like this.

Hell.

Sara continued to stroll the room, leading him right past the photographers again. "So when are you going to marry, my lord? My father has been pressing for me to find a good union for myself, but I'm bored with all the high ranking officials in Japan, and all the available business tycoons are too young or way too old." She gave him a mock pout.

"Perhaps you should find yourself an American, like Lady Soto." Sesshomaru said smoothly.

She froze. Then blinked, at a loss of words, and he felt a vindictive stab of spite. If she insulted Americans, as he suspected she would have, she would then be insulting her host's bridegroom. But if she admitted otherwise, she would probably feel as if she was insulting herself. Since she was half-demon as well.

Sara simply gave him a brilliant smile and squeezed his arm. "Or perhaps I should find myself someone like you my lord." And she leaned in and touched his jaw, just as a photographer knelt in front of them and took their photo.

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Sesshomaru waited for her to remove her hand, and then gave her a polite smile. "I am not looking to marry."

"It'd be a wonderful merger for both your company and my father's if we were to be wed."

"I am not interested in furthering my company any further."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "I'm surprised you're turning me down. You know my family's lineage is immaculate and I'm next in line to taking my father's place in his company."

As if that was a selling point. "And I'm the one who brings the enormous wallet to the table, yes?"

Her mouth tugged into a forced smile. "Don't be gauche. That sounds like something you'd hear from—"

And she paused.

He laughed. "Were you going to say 'an American'?"

"Don't be ridiculous." But there were spots of high color on her flawless cheekbones.

He merely smiled.

* * *

"There's just one rule." Rin said, as she gently touched the neck of Akira Soto. "You can't thank me or pay me in any way, or this won't work."

The eyes of the demoness nodded into the mirror, and then she winced anew.

"All right, then." Rin said, and gently felt the sides of the demoness' neck. They'd called her in from Tono's side and asked if she knew anything about first aid. Akira had been burned with a metal that was deadly to her race and asked Rin for help. She'd volunteered, of course, and the equerry had whisked her to Akira's dressing rooms.

The private chamber was in an uproar. Lance held his fiancée's hand, looking almost as distraught as the teary woman. Staff moved in and out, not sure what to do. A woman was busy trying to repair the demoness' makeup even as tears spilled down Akira's pale cheeks, and an older woman held an ice pack to the back of her neck.

Rin had immediately swept in. "I can fix this." She'd taken the ice pack from the woman and realized too late that she'd more or less just elbowed aside Akira's mother and another demon highness. Nothing she could do about that, though.

And so she had removed the ice pack, put her hands on the sides of Akira's neck, and began to talk. When someone was hurting, she pitched her voice low and smooth and made the person describe the injury. It seemed that Akira's hair stylist, who was sobbing in the corner, had been trying to curl a few stray tendrils with a last-minute application of a curling iron. A nervous servant had dropped a tray of wine, breaking a bottle, and the woman had jumped. When she did, her curling iron ended up flattening on the princess's neck and burning the tender skin. The mark was long and bright red, and it looked like it would blister. The skin surrounding the burn was hot to the touch, so she stroked her fingers over the good skin next to it and kept the princess talking. Was she excited about her wedding? Did she want to dance at tonight's party? Was Lance a good dancer?

He was not, Akira admitted, and her admission made Lance laugh. He squeezed her hand even as Rin continued to urge the demoness to talk. Every so often, she'd ask her if she wanted to give Rin the pain. The woman seemed a little skeptical, but agreed every time she prompted it.

If pressed, Rin didn't know exactly how her ability worked. Her mama had passed down the skill to her, and it was an old Noto tradition. Some families had water-dowsers and people who could predict the weather. Notos were talkers. She touched the burned skin and gently rubbed the inflamed mark one last time. "Now, Ms. Akira—"

"Lady Akira." Her mother stiffly corrected next to Rin.

She sounded so much like Sesshomaru in that moment that Rin got distracted. But she recovered and finished her sentence. "Go ahead and give me the rest of the pain."

Akira blinked for a moment, and then a smile crossed her face. "It's not hurting anymore. How on earth did you do that?"

Rin lifted her hands. They always felt a little warm and achy after a good talking. "I'm not really sure. It runs in my family. My grandma is good with flus and colds and my mama is great with the chicken pox. But I'm only good with burns."

"Chicken pox?" Said a horrified woman nearby. "How vulgar."

"I don't care." Akira said, smiling into the mirror at Rin. "I wasn't quite sure when Lord Sesshomaru told me, but I have to say, I'm impressed. You have my thanks." The demoness waved her makeup attendant forward, and the woman rushed in, cosmetic sponges in hand, to fix her makeup.

"Just be gentle with it." Rin cautioned. "Put some aloe vera on it tonight and cover it so you don't irritate the skin more. The mark will go away in another day or so, but it shouldn't blister."

"That's incredible." Lance said, a relieved smile on his face. He grinned at his fiancée again. "You sure you're okay? Up to this party?"

"It doesn't matter if I am or not." Akira said, but her smile took the sting out of her words. "Give me ten minutes and I'll be ready to go downstairs." She indicated at a chair nearby. "Sit, Rin. In case we need you again."

"No more curling irons." Lance said firmly. "You're lovely just as you are."

Akira's smile curved her mouth. "We'll just pin the rest." She snapped her fingers and pointed at her hair, and the crying woman wiped her eyes and sprang into action.

Rin approached the chair designated for her, but she smoothed her dress nervously. "If it's all right, Lady Akira, I'd rather stand. I'm afraid I would bust a seam or something, and then Mr. Taisho would be really unhappy with me."

Akira stared at her mirror, but her gaze flicked to her and then back again. "Speaking of Lord Sesshomaru…I see he's dug out the family jewels?"

Rin quickly touched both earrings and the necklace again. "Oh umm, yes, and they're making me really nervous wearing them."

"Indeed." Akira said, in a pleasant voice. "Still, he must be pleased with your work."

"Oh, this is just a loan." Rin said again, her hand pressing against the far-too-expensive necklace. "I think he felt sorry for me because I didn't have any jewelry."

"That doesn't sound like Lord Sesshomaru." Akira said.

"What doesn't sound like Lord Sesshomaru?"

Rin turned at the sound of his familiar voice, suddenly uncertain. "Hello, Sessho—um, Lord Sesshomaru."

He moved to her side and put a hand on her shoulder. The move was oddly possessive for an employer, she thought, but she didn't pull away. It was kind of nice, really. Like he was including her in the group instead of making her feel like an interloper.

"Has Naraku been sniffing around?" He asked, and she felt his fingers tense on her shoulder.

"He has not." Akira said, leaning in so her attendant could whisk mascara on her lashes. "We're about to head downstairs, which means the dancing will start. Are you going to run out as soon as it does, like usual?"

Sesshomaru scowled. "I do not."

"I hate to say this to you my lord, but you do." She said. "I told Lance you always sneak out of these functions because you hate dancing. At least Lance tries to fake it through these things, unlike you."

"Oh, are we going before we watch the dancing?" Rin couldn't help the wistful note in her voice. Now that they were here and she'd met the bride, who was quite nice, she was feeling more relaxed. And she wanted to see what an actual royal dance was like.

"I suppose we could stay for one." Sesshomaru said.

"Two." Akira corrected, and got to her feet in a swirl of delicate blue frothing lace. "The first dance is for myself and Lance."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Akira and Lance had been announced to the crowd, and the band started to play. The official ball had begun, and the two moved around the dance floor in an elegant swirl.

"She's so beautiful." Rin breathed. "I'm so happy for her. She looks wonderful."

"She does." Sesshomaru agreed at her side.

He hadn't left Rin since they'd emerged from Akria's chambers. When someone called him over to chat, he'd more or less dragged her with him. She'd been flattered, but remained silent as he chatted with another businessman about the recent rise in his stocks. She watched him as he talked, though. Even if he didn't want to be here, it was clear that he could handle himself with the crowd. He looked utterly at ease, small talk coming naturally to him.

Meanwhile, she stood at his side, tongue-tied and terrified of speaking and embarrassing him.

A round of applause made everyone look to the center of the floor, and Akira and Lance were leaving, heading off the dancefloor and standing at a long table, along with their parents.

They looked wonderful, Rin decided. Romantic and like something out of a fairy tale. She could have watched them all night, and judging by the dreamy expressions of some of the other women in the room, she wasn't the only one. Once Akira had her skirts settled, she gave a nod at the direction of the band, and the strains of another song began to play. Couples moved out onto the dance floor, and Rin watched them with shining eyes. She wanted to etch the memory into her mind so she'd never forget it, all these expensive, gorgeous dresses and beautiful women on the arms of dashing, formally dressed men.

A hand extended in front of Rin. "Shall we?"

She stared down at Sesshomaru's hand, then looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Really." He agreed.

"I'm not a very good dancer." She said.

"It is alright. Just follow my lead and you will do fine."

She smiled happily, and placed her hand into his. Her breath fluttered in her throat with excitement, and she let him lead the way as they headed out onto the floor. The song was stately, and everyone around them was clasping hands and moving closer to dance. Oh, how magical.

His hands went to her waist, keeping her a modest length from him. Unsure of where to put her own hands, she slid them to his neck. He gazed at her for a long moment, and she felt her breath catch all over again with the intensity of his stare.

His eyes flicked from her face, then down to the necklace at her throat. "I see you haven't lost them."

His words confused her. Was that meant playfully? Or did he truly think she'd do her best to lose his jewels? "No. I've been very careful."

"Of course."

They danced, slowly going into a small sway motion, which was what she didn't imagine. Guess it was really for her benefit since she couldn't dance too well. It actually reminded her a bit of a high school prom, and a giggle escaped her throat.

"What is it?"

"Just thinking this reminds me of a school dance."

A hint of a smile curved his austere mouth. "Oh? In what way?"

She nodded at a couple that moved nearby. "The dresses, the awkwardness, the cool kids and the wannabes."

"Cool kids and wannabes?" His eyebrow rose. "Which one are you?"

"Oh, definitely a wannabe."

"Why would you think that?"

She swallowed hard, averting her gaze from him. It was easy to do, she just pretended to watch everyone dancing nearby. "I just worry that I'm going to say or do something wrong and mess everything up. So I try not to speak."

He shook his head and his hands clasped her waist a little tighter. "No one could be embarrassed by you tonight, Rin."

For some reason, that didn't make her feel better. "Because I don't look like myself, right?"

"Why would you think that?" He stared, his feet going in tune with the steps and her trying to follow. He really was a great dancer. For being around for hundreds of years, of course would give him plenty of time to practice. She ended up stepping on his feet a few times, but otherwise she was following along in step with him.

"You said so yourself."

He sighed.

"Well, you did." She said defensively. "And then you drove me to the salon so they could make me look "presentable." Your words."

"You misinterpret them."

"I'm really not sure how it's possible to misinterpret them, Mr. Taisho. You just said that no one could be embarrassed by me tonight. Seeing as how I normally don't look like this, I have to think I'm embarrassing on a day-to-day basis. And you made that pretty clear by buying me clothes." Oh, now she was spewing all kinds of hurt at him. She needed to stop, but she couldn't help herself. "So please tell me how I am misinterpreting that. I may be from a small town, but I'm not stupid."

"I never said you were stupid."

"Let's just forget I said anything, all right?" She was ruining this lovely evening. She then turned to look at all the incredible dresses whirling past. "I'm sorry I brought it up. I'm sure it's not my place."

"Ms. Noto." He began. Then said, "Rin." Then stopped again. And sighed.

And now she felt bad. He'd spent a lot of money to get her all gussied up tonight and this place truly was something she'd never forget.

"I . . . I am not good with people." He admitted.

"Now that's a lie." She told him. "You've been mingling around with the rest of these nobles all night."

"I'm good at mingling." He told her. "Though when it comes to humans and the occasional demon, I don't take into consideration their feelings with my words." His hands moved at her waist, and he shifted, tilting his neck from side to side as if wanting to tug at his collar. "I know a lot of people, but I do not have many friends, Rin. And I never say the right thing."

"You sure do say a lot for someone who doesn't say the right thing." She muttered.

His hands shifted on her waist and, to her surprise, he moved one of her hands from his neck and clasped it in his own, moving them into a waltz, except she doubted she knew how to dance a waltz. "Just because I talk does not mean that I do not keep messing things up."

She squeezed his hand with hers, feeling oddly connected to him at the moment. Maybe it was the intense look of concentration on his face, or the words that echoed her own misery at being out of place. He was at home with high society and didn't know what to say one on one. She was the opposite, she loved chatting with everyone, but amongst this glittering crowd, she felt like an alley cat that had somehow snuck through the back door. "So if you keep messing things up, what do you think you should be saying?"

He swallowed and for a moment looked so uncomfortable she wanted to laugh. Then he spoke, and the laugh died in her throat. "I should be telling you that I think you are impressive." He said in a low voice. "I should tell you that your smile makes the room warmer. That the room seems a little darker when you leave."

Her eyes widened. All of a sudden, his hand in hers felt incredibly intimate . . . incredibly sexual. It was almost as if he had it on her breast instead of against her own hand. And for a wild, brief moment, she wondered what Sesshomaru would be like in bed. Would he be that incredibly polished, arrogant, almost bored, high ranked demon he normally was? Or would she get a glimpse of someone else underneath?

"Say something."

"I . . . I don't know what to say." She murmured. She was so astonished that she was at a loss.

"You're blushing." He declared, and that soft tone of his voice had changed a little, becoming a shade of its normal arrogant self. "That blush does ridiculous things to me, I'll have you know."

"You don't have to sound so disgusted about it." She said defensively. Was that supposed to be a compliment? Was she supposed to be flattered that he sounded revolted at the thought of being attracted to her?

"I am disgusted because you are my employee." He said. "You are off limits because of that. I am not a predator to attack you simply because I hold a bit of power over you." He looked angry at the thought. "That is not a situation I should ever put you in. I should not have said a thing tonight." The music slowed and the song ended. "And I've already said too much." He told her, and his hands left hers. People stopped dancing and turned to clap, and she and Sesshomaru parted, leaving Rin with a wealth of confused feelings.

* * *

They left the party about a half hour later and Rin was relieved to escape, despite the awkward car ride back to the hotel. Sesshomaru was silent, occasionally fidgeting with his cufflinks. She wished he would talk, but he seemed to already think he'd said too much. So she stared out the window and watched the night streets of Japan roll past. Her own thoughts were a mess, but she couldn't straighten them out, not with him sitting a few feet from her in silence. So she touched the jewels to make sure they were still on, stared out the window, and tried not to think about how quiet he was.

They didn't speak as they took the elevator up to Sesshomaru's room. The security guard posted at the end of the floor nodded at both of them. Outside of her own door, she paused. Her hand touched the ridiculously expensive jewelry again. "I should give this back to you."

He rubbed his eyes, not glancing at her. "It's been a long night, Rin. I will collect them in the morning."

"All right." She said softly, and opened her door and went inside.

Once it was shut, she quickly checked the room for intruders. She could have asked him, but her mind was still all messed up when it came to Sesshomaru, and for some reason, she didn't want him in her room if he didn't want her.

At least, not the real her.

She looked in the mirror at her reflection. The young woman who stared back at her had long, dark eyelashes and perfect, smooth ebony hair. She glittered in jewelry and wore an expensive gown that made her look like an elegant lady. It only made her more confused. He had told her that he liked her tonight, even as he constantly insisted she change what she look like. How was she supposed to take him seriously even as he tried to fix her?

She carefully removed the heavy necklace and set it down on the dresser. Next, the earrings. Then, she removed the pins from her hair and shook it out. It was still too smooth and strange to be her own. So was the perfect face that stared back at her. She needed a shower.

Rin shimmied out of the dress, then grabbed a towel and headed into the bathroom and washed her hair. When she emerged, her face was free of make-up, her hair back to its unruly mess, and she felt more like herself. She dressed in her camo pajamas and picked up her knitting and climbed into bed. She couldn't concentrate, though. Her gaze kept straying over to the jewelry on the dresser, and her thoughts kept playing over the night.

He said he liked her. Liked her smile, her touch. But did he really like _her_? Did he want the real Rin? The small town human girl who wore camo pajamas and knitted and tried to drink out of finger bowls at fancy parties? Or did he want the smooth, elegant girl he'd tried to make her into?

She put aside her knitting and turned off the light. Even then she couldn't sleep. What did he want from her?

 _I am not good with people._

She thought it wasn't that he was bad with people, it was that he didn't know how to ask for things after a lifetime of having them handed to him. And that thought made her sit upright in the bed. He didn't know how to ask for things. That had to be the reason.

Sesshomaru probably just assumed that they would naturally become his. All the nobility thought like that. He didn't know how to ask her if she was interested in him. He'd hemmed and hawed around things tonight and eventually told her he liked her. And that was it. He hadn't said more. Maybe he hadn't realized she needed to hear more?

Was that his weird way of asking her if she liked him? If she wanted to kiss him? Simply telling her he was bad with people and leaving it out there for her to interpret?

Suddenly, she needed to know the answer to that.

She flicked on the light and jumped out of her bed, crossing the room to the adjoining door. Without stopping to think about the hour or if it was polite to do so, she knocked quickly.

There was a loud rustling on the other side of the door, and a moment later, Sesshomaru flung it open, his eyes slightly wild. "Rin, is everything all right?" He pushed into her room, and she noticed his claws were flexed, ready to strike at even moment.

Oh, dear. She'd scared him. "It's all right." She told him. "There's no one in my room but you."

He exhaled slowly and then looked over at her. With a low breath, he nodded and relaxed. "You startled me."

"I'm sorry." She crossed her arms under her breasts, tucking her hands in and feeling a little stupid. "I shouldn't have woken you up."

"Do not be daft." He rubbed his face and returned back to his room. "What do you need?"

'I need you to like me for me.' She thought, and was surprised at her own thoughts. "I was just, um, curious about what you meant earlier."

"What I meant earlier?"

"When you said I was impressive."

His face flushed, which made him look adorably boyish despite the long, lean chest that was currently exposed to her view. "We can talk about it in the morning."

"Oh." She rocked on her feet, hating that he was dismissing her already. She felt like they were so close to some sort of breakthrough that if she didn't say something now, the moment would be gone forever. But was she stupid to say it? Even as she stood before him looking like her normal self instead of the elegant woman she was earlier?

"Get some sleep." He said in a gentle voice. "I will check your room for you if you like."

"No, it's okay." She told him. "I just would like to talk right now."

"About?"

She ignored that sharp, clipped word. "You and me."

"What about us?"

She gave him a straightforward look. "I want to know why you're constantly trying to change me if you like me."

He looked incredibly uncomfortable at that. "I'm not trying to change you."

"You are."

He rubbed his face again. "It is not that simple. These people live and breathe protocol. I just do not want . . . I do not want anyone to hurt your feelings by making you feel inadequate."

"The only person who's done that to me is you."

He flinched and looked away.

"It's true. Every time I let my guard down, you hurt me. And I . . . I like you. But I don't know if I should."

"I'm an idiot." He declared harshly. "It was never my intention to hurt your feelings. Anything but that."

"And do you like me?" It felt weird to throw it out there so boldly, but she did wonder if he didn't know how to ask. She would simply have to do the asking. "For me?"

He was silent for so long that she thought she'd made a mistake in being so blunt. Her stomach churned nervously.

Then, he looked slowly up at her and reached out to finger a lock of her hair. It was damp, the strand loose. As she watched, he wrapped it around his finger. "I missed seeing your hair like this tonight."

"You did?" Her breath caught in her throat.

He nodded, seemingly fascinated by that strand between his fingers. "I kept thinking your hair looked messy and unkempt and wild, but I did not realize how much I liked that look on you until it was all smoothed out. You were beautiful but you were not you."

And that was what she wanted—no, _needed_ —to hear.

Rin stepped forward, moving toward him. She put a hand on the center of his chest, over his heart. He was incredibly warm. He didn't move, but she felt him tense against her. "Can I sleep in your room tonight?" She whispered.

His gaze met hers, and she saw hope and passion there. His fingers lifted, traced the lines of her cheek. "Are you scared to sleep alone?"

"No. Can I sleep with you anyhow?"

He groaned and dragged her into his room.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: Sorry this chapter took so long guys, it was already typed out but I just had to check it over and it took a while with other things going on to finish it. But anyway, Sesshomaru and Rin started out pretty shaky during the party (though it was again his fault), but it seems though that these two made up pretty fast. Let's see what happens next, until next time! ^_^


	10. Chapter 10

BlueMoon Goddess: Since this chapter was already typed out, I decided to update this one faster, so I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.

* * *

Sesshomaru's warm hands took hers and he pulled her into his room. The lights were off, but from the light streaming in from her connected room, she could see a heavily rumpled bed. It was obvious that he wasn't exactly sleeping soundly, either. Was he thinking about her, too? Unable to sleep because he had her on his mind? Or was that wishful thinking?

He released her hand and shut the door to her adjoining room.

It was pitch-dark.

"Should we get the jewelry?" Rin asked. "I feel strange leaving them in the other room without being nearby."

"Forget them." His hands moved to her shoulders, and he gently steered her further into the room. "Come to bed."

She giggled nervously. "You didn't need much convincing, Mr. Taisho."

"Please drop the 'mister', Rin. And actually, you can just call me by my name, if you like. All of the people I'm personal with do."

He was implying she was someone who was personal? A warm flush ran through her body at the thought, and her hands moved to cover his where they rested on her shoulders. "Sesshomaru, then."

"That's better." He murmured.

"I didn't bring pillows." She said, in a soft voice. "To put in between us."

"I had rather hoped we did not need them."

"Me too, but I didn't want to presume."

His hands tightened on her shoulders, and he turned her around. In the dark, she could barely make out the line of his jaw, and the gleam of his eyes. "Rin . . . before we get into bed, I just want you to know that I have no expectations of tonight. Whatever you want is fine with me. If all you want is some company, I am fine with that, too. I do not want you to do anything you do not want to do. Understand?"

"I'm glad to hear that." She told him. "But I'm a little confused as to why you feel it's necessary to throw that out there."

"Because, like it or not, I am your employer, and I do not want to use my position to hold power over you. That would be unfair to you. Outside of this room, I am in charge. In here, what you say goes."

"Really?"

"Yes." His fingers brushed her neck again in a soft touch that made her skin shiver with want.

"Anything I say goes?"

"Anything."

"What if I told you to meow like a cat?"

He stilled. "Almost anything."

She laughed again, mostly because he sounded so very disgruntled. Her hands moved to his chest and slid down the warm skin. "What if I asked you to take off your pants for me instead?"

"Will you take off yours?"

"No, because I'm the one in charge."

He grunted at that. "You drive a hard bargain."

"I'm just flexing my muscle." She teased. "But if you don't want to, I understand."

"So now you're backing down?" There was a sly note in his voice that surprised her to hear.

"Well, since you put it that way…no." Where was all this playfulness coming from? She didn't know, but she liked it. "Off with your pants."

"Done." He murmured, and he pulled away from her. She heard the rustle of fabric and a soft thump as his pajama pants dropped to the ground. "I am all yours."

A sudden wave of shyness took over her, and Rin giggled again.

"You know, Rin." He said, his voice taking on a clipped tone. "Most men do not appreciate a woman laughing when they drop their pants."

"It's not at you." She assured him. "I'm just a little nervous."

She heard him suck in a breath. "Are you a virgin?"

"No." She said softly. "You just make me nervous."

"Until I take my pants off, upon which you burst into laughter."

"I can't see anything." She admitted. "So it's not you."

"We could turn on a light, I suppose, but I would rather not." He reached for her then. "You know, the blind see with their hands." He found hers in the dark and placed them on his chest. "I think they have the right idea."

She sucked in a breath. Her fingertips brushed along his chest, and she felt the delicate lines of his collarbone. "You want me to explore you?"

"I would like nothing more." He said, voice husky.

She shivered at that, and she stepped a bit closer to him, only to feel his erect member brush against her thighs when she moved closer. Oh…he _definitely_ was naked. Heat scorched her cheeks and she wanted to check him out with her hands to see if he was as long as he seemed to be, but she wasn't ready to do that just yet. So she let her fingers draw tiny circles on the skin of his shoulders, feeling the muscles there. Then, she slid them lower and felt his biceps, giving a sigh of appreciation when he flexed under her hands.

"I thought you were more of a sit at your desk kind of man."

"I am." Oh, his voice sounded so close to her ear, and so elegant. She could listen to him talk for hours and hours about nothing in particular.

"You have quite big muscles for someone who just sits at a desk."

He chuckled. "Sometimes the only chance I get to catch up on my reading is in the gym. So I visit it fairly often. Plus I am a demon and have been around for hundreds of years, so most of us are in good shape."

"Mmm." He definitely was in shape.

She squeezed his arms again, and then moved her hands back to his chest. Her fingers slid lower, and she brushed them over his nipples, pleased to hear his sharp intake of breath. She wanted to put her mouth on them, to see how he reacted if she took one in her mouth and gave it a little tug with her teeth, but she couldn't bring herself to drag her hands from him. Instead, she raked her nails lightly down his chest, a little breathless moan of pleasure escaping her when she felt him shiver in response.

"I love your hands, Rin." He told her in that elegant, husky voice that was knotting up her insides. "I was thinking of ridiculous lines when I came back here, to try and figure out how to get you to put them on me. But everything I thought of sounded silly and stupid."

She giggled again. "You really aren't very good with people."

"I'm really not." He sounded rueful.

"All that just so I'd put my hands on you?"

"I would do anything and everything so you would put your hands on me." He admitted.

Oh, such sweet romantic words. She moved in and put her hands around the back of his neck, drawing his mouth toward her own. She wanted to kiss him so badly, to make sure that what they'd shared the other day wasn't simply a figment of her imagination. His mouth descended on hers hungrily. She was taken aback by the intensity of his kiss, but only momentarily. Being devoured by this man, she decided, was a wonderful thing. And as his tongue slicked into her mouth and danced with her own, she gave herself over completely to the long, passionate kiss that seemed to arouse every last inch of her body.

Eventually, his mouth pulled away from hers, leaving her breathless and clawing at his shoulders. "Whoa, you don't kiss like a business man."

"That's rather good to hear." He said between nibbles on her earlobe. "Have you kissed a lot of business men?"

Her fingers found their way to his hair, which was soft and felt silky to the touch. She liked touching it. "Just you."

"Good." That possessive note in his voice was rather pleasing.

Rin moved closer to him, unable to avoid the press of his manhood into her stomach. Her fingers were aching to curl around his shaft, but she didn't want him to get the wrong idea about her. She was all for kissing and making out and cuddling in bed, but she wasn't sure she was ready to have sex with him. She wanted commitment, and she knew he wasn't sure he was going to head in that direction, ever. That was fine with her, but they needed to be clear on things.

"Sesshomaru." She murmured, and clenched as his tongue slicked against her sensitive earlobe. "Oh, God."

"What is it?" His fingers brushed aside her hair, and she felt the hot press of his chest against her pajama top. The tips of her breasts were scraping against him in the most wickedly delicious tease ever.

"We should talk about . . . uh . . . this." She was having a hard time concentrating as he nibbled on her earlobes. Who knew they were so sensitive? Every time his fangs grazed over them, it felt like they were touching other, more sensitive parts of her anatomy.

"What about this, exactly?"

"I'm just not sure how far I'm ready to go . . ." Oh, his mouth was making things so difficult to concentrate.

"I told you, Rin." He murmured against her throat, and she tilted her head back so he could continue to run his mouth along the sensitive skin. "We will go as far as you want to go. I will follow your lead."

"That's good." She told him. "That's really good." His mouth found her earlobe again and her knees went weak. "Oh, God, that's really good."

"Do you want to get on the bed?" His husky whisper made her sex clench in response, and she felt her pulse pounding in response.

"Yes." She breathed. "Let's."

He gently tugged her with him, and the backs of her knees hit the mattress. She fell backward, and a moment later, he was on top of her. A low moan escaped her when his thighs pushed between her own, and his cock rubbed against the cradle of her sex.

"You feel so good under me." He murmured, still kissing her neck. "Did you want to be on top since you are in charge?"

"No." Her voice was so breathless. "I like you there."

"Do you like me here?" He thrust against the crotch of her pajamas, his naked dick rubbing against her.

She gave a whimper of pleasure in response. She liked that far too much. Her nails dug into his back again, and she pulled his mouth to hers for another wild kiss.

"How about…" He murmured between frantic, licking kisses. "Tonight you keep everything on and we will take it from there? Yes?"

Oh, God, his mouth was making her regret her initial reluctance. It was doing sinful things to her. "You don't mind taking it slow?"

"Not if you do not mind me running my hands all over you."

She shook her head. She rather liked that, actually.

"Can I put my hands on your breasts?" His tongue slicked into her mouth again, distracting her from the question for a long moment. He stated it again.

"Yes." She breathed, practically arching against him at the thought. Oh, she wanted his mouth there, but his hands would be the next best thing.

One large, warm palm cupped her breast and she sucked in a gasp.

"Perfection." He told her. "Plump and delicious. What color are your nipples? Pale pink?"

"Y-yes." His fingers were rubbing the tip of her breast through the fabric, and her hips jerked involuntarily in response. Had it always felt this good to fool around? Because she certainly didn't remember feeling like this when she had sex for the first time with her ex-boyfriend in her junior year of high school.

"They feel tiny." He told her, and his thumb traced the tip. "Small, pale nipples on plump breasts. I cannot wait to see that for myself."

"Soon." She breathed.

"Not tonight." He agreed. His hips wedged further between her thighs, pressing deeper, and before she knew what she was doing, she flexed her knees and then she wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him in until he rested perfectly atop her pussy.

Her hands moved to his ass, and she felt the taut muscles there. "Mmm. Not a business man's ass, either."

He chuckled at that. "I'm glad you find me so appealing."

"Oh, I do." She said dreamily. "I do indeed."

He thrust between her legs, and she gasped. The fabric protected her from penetration, but she still felt the heat of him wedge against her in hopeful glory, felt him push against her aching sex, skimming over her throbbing clit.

"Like that?" There was a tension in his voice that hadn't been there before, as if he were holding back, judging. If she said no, she knew that he'd stop.

But she didn't want him to stop. "More." She begged, her fingers pressuring.

He thrust again, and she moaned. Oh, God, humping with clothes on was almost as good as humping with clothes off. It was way more of a tease, because neither one of them could entirely get what they wanted, but the delicious anticipation was an entirely different level of pleasure. When he thrust again, she heard him groan, too. The friction of the clothing was driving them both insane with lust.

Sesshomaru rocked against her, each thrust rough and wild, and she was safely protected by the fabric of her pajamas. But he wasn't hitting at quite the right spots, there was too much fabric over her clit, and no matter how much she raised her hips and pressed up against him, it wasn't quite hitting the jackpot for her. Soft whimpers of frustration rose from her throat.

"What do you need?" He gritted between thrusts. "Tell me, Rin. I want to make it good for you."

"Need . . . more. I don't know." She panted, raising her hips to press against the bar of his cock.

"More?" He shifted his weight atop of her and then she felt his hand press between her legs. A moment later, his forefinger rubbed her clit through the fabric of her now-soaked pajamas. "Like that?"

She cried out, shocked at how that quick touch could make her entire lower half clench so quickly. She was on the verge of an orgasm instantly, and her cries encouraged him all the more. He rubbed harder, thrusting his pelvis against her protected wet warmth.

Her legs flailed and tightened around his hips, and then she made the most unladylike sound ever. "Oh fuck!" And she came with a damp rush and a clenching of muscles that made her entire body tremble with the strength of her orgasm. And she kept cussing as he continued to rub her clit through the fabric, his voice soothing even as his dick pushed and drove at the junction of her pants.

When the stars faded from her eyes, she sighed, trembling. "Oh, God."

Sesshomaru chuckled, the sound strained. "Good?"

"Incredible." She murmured. Her hand slid up his side, all warm and damp with a fine layer of sweat, and she noticed that he flinched when she touched him. "What about you?"

"I will just have a quick shower." He began to roll off her.

She locked her legs around his hips, trapping him. "Did you not . . . you know." She could hear the blush in her voice.

"Come all over you?"

"Something like that." She told him primly.

He laughed at her shyness. "You cannot say it? You were screaming some rude things just a moment ago."

She blushed in the dark, glad he couldn't see her face. Her hands stroked up and down his tense arms. "You know what I meant. You didn't . . . come?"

"I was not sure how far you wanted to proceed. Me jerking off on your belly and rubbing my seed into your skin is probably not what you had in mind for a make-out session."

She sucked in a breath, the mental image of that scorching. Was it bad that she wanted that? "Well, now I can't think of anything but that." She admitted, and her breath hissed out in a laugh. "Do you want to?"

He groaned, and she felt him collapse on top of her, his hands going to the tangles of her hair. "More than anything else." He thought for a moment. "Well, almost anything else. Burying myself to the hilt inside you and blasting away sounds right jovial at the moment, too."

Her hands slid on his damp, delicious skin. "Want me to bare my stomach for you, then?"

This time, it was gratifying to hear him suck in a breath. "Rin, you do not have to—"

"I don't have to do anything." She reminded him gently. "But I want you to come."

And she took his hand in hers and began to use their twined hands to drag her sleep shirt up her stomach. He groaned and sat up over her, still between her legs. She could make out his big form rising over hers in the bed, and she moaned when he fisted a handful of her top and jerked it up to her breasts.

His fingers trailed down her bare stomach and he groaned in response, his breathing becoming jerky. "You can still back out." He warned her, rasping.

"Don't you want to come on me?" She asked him softly.

He groaned again, and his hand pushed under her clothing, grasping her naked breast. Rin whimpered in surprise, especially when his fingers roughly began to pluck at her nipple. "So beautiful." His voice was a near growl. "So . . . damn . . . beautiful."

Hot, liquid heat spattered on her stomach, even as he groaned her name. She lay back, stunned by the eroticism of it. Why was it that what was supposed to be a quick dry-hump had turned into one of the most erotic sexual moment of her life?

Panting, his hand moved to her belly and traced around the cum he'd left there. "I should have left the lights on."

She touched her stomach, uncertain. "Did you get it everywhere? Should I get a towel?"

He chuckled. "No, I just wanted to see you under me, covered in my seed. It's a primal male thing." He bent down over her and gave her mouth a hard kiss. "And I will get the towel."

The bed creaked as he got off, and across the room, a light flicked on. Illuminated by the bathroom light was Sesshomaru's gloriously naked backside, all tight muscle and corded, lean thighs. Oh, mercy, wasn't that a delicious sight. Rin felt herself getting aroused all over again, and she blinked with disappointment when the lights went out once more, leaving her in darkness.

Then, he was back in the bed, gently wiping down her stomach and tugging at her pajamas. "You should probably take these off. They will need a good cleaning. You can sleep in one of my shirts."

"Oh, I'm sure I have something else I can sleep in—"

"No." He said firmly. "I like seeing you in my shirt. Humor me."

She blushed at that. "All right, Mr. Tai—um, Sesshomaru."

When he got up to get rid of the towel, he returned with a soft T-shirt for her to wear and pressed it into her hand. "Need some help undressing?"

"I think I can manage." She said in a wry, breathless voice. She quickly stripped out of her clothing and tugged on the shirt, mindful of the noises he made as he moved to the other side of the bed. When she pulled the shirt down, her bottom hung out the other side, and she didn't have any spare panties with her. "Um, do you have some boxers?"

He chuckled. "If you insist, though I am a little disappointed that I do not get the pleasure of having you snuggled up against me all night in all your glory."

"Boxers." She said again, primly.

A moment later, more soft material touched her hand, and she realized he'd had them all along. "You are shamelessly wicked, Sesshomaru Taisho." She chided him as she wriggled into his boxers.

Once that was taken care of, she lay back in the bed and adjusted her pillow. What did they do now? Kiss goodnight and roll over onto their separate sides? He solved that problem for her. As soon as she lay back, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her against him, his hips curving against hers. Aha, he was a spooner.

Sesshomaru nuzzled her neck as he settled her against him. "This is much better than the pillow separating us, don't you think?"

His words tickled her ear. "It is definitely more intimate. I hope you don't snore tonight."

"I never snore." He said in that haughty voice. "You, on the other hand, could put a train to shame."

She snorted. "Now I know you're lying. I'm a Southern girl. We don't snore, and we don't cuss."

"Mmhmm, southern girls are clearly out of touch with reality."

She tickled his sides before he grabbed her hands and tucked them into his grasp. Then she cuddled against his chest, his mouth teasing her neck, and Rin somehow drifted off to sleep.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: Well you guys got some Sesshomaru and Rin action, so I do hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will be up within two weeks so look out for it. Until next time! ^_^


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.

* * *

The next morning, Sesshomaru woke up with a raging hard-on, wild ebony hair tickling his nose, and an urge to spend the day in bed. He sat up and reached over towards the woman clinging to his front to flick off his alarm, and noticed with amusement that Rin didn't even stir. Well, actually, all she did was burrow deeper against his chest, increasing his morning, uh… _problem_.

Damn, but he'd liked last night.

He stroked a hand over her out-of-control hair, admiring the way they fluffed and made her look thoroughly and adorably fucked. So they'd had a pajama barrier. He couldn't deny that fooling around with Rin had been the best thing to happen to him in a long time. And for the first time, he was rather grateful for the upcoming wedding and Jaken's inconvenient illness.

Leaning down, he kissed her cheekbone. "Rin, wake up."

She mumbled something about being her turn to cook breakfast and flicked a hand at her cheek as if brushing away a mosquito.

That was . . . charming. With a small grin to himself, he reluctantly released her and made his way to the bathroom. He'd shower and then wake her up when he got back. He undressed and examined himself in the mirror. He was smiling like a loon. No, he realized, like Inuyasha did whenever someone mentioned Kagome. He normally just rolled his eyes at that dopey, lovesick smile on his half-brother's face and figured she could do amazing stunts in bed. But Rin hadn't done amazing stunts. She'd simply been herself. Excited, breathless, and wild with need, and he'd thought it was the most erotic thing ever.

Just thinking about her made his dick twitch. Before he got in the shower, he made sure it was ice cold. When he finally got out of the shower some time later, he wrapped a towel around his hips and emerged from the bathroom to see her sitting on the end of the bed, blinking sleepily, her hair nearly standing on end.

"You didn't wake me up." She murmured, rubbing her eyes.

He moved to her side and leaned down to kiss those crazy strands of hers he was coming to love. "You seemed tired. I thought I would let you sleep a few more minutes."

Her cheeks flushed red at that, and she jumped up from the bed. "I should go get dressed so we're not late for breakfast."

As she hurried away, he admired the way her derriere filled out his boxers. He was going to hide those godawful camouflage pajamas so she'd have no choice but to sleep in his clothing. He liked the look of that quite a bit. She looked like she completely belonged to him.

'As she should.' He decided.

He dressed, throwing down a few ties to let her pick one out for him. She returned to his room a short time later, that gorgeous hair tamped down into a tight bun and her even more delicious body encased in a shapeless, demure skirted suit that he was pretty sure he'd seen uptight women in the office wear. It made her look at least forty years older than she was. He frowned. He'd turned his delicious, tousled Rin into this frumpy creature. But she sailed over to him with a beaming smile, plucked a tie from the pile he left for her, crooked her finger, and he forgot all about anything except that sexy little gesture.

"One of these days…" She teased as she looped the tie around his neck. "I'm going to show you how to tie your own tie. They have tutorials on YouTube, you know. Very informative, and they go real slow so you can follow along."

"Lovely." He murmured.

"And just think of how better you'll be."

"It will mean nothing if it means I lose out on you putting your hands on me." He said boldly, and was rewarded with her blush and a happy giggle.

"There." She said with a final tug on his tie. "All done. Now come on, we have to eat a quick breakfast today because your schedule is full."

He sighed. "I do not see how it can possibly be full. The wedding is tomorrow and I swear I have visited every dignitary, museum, and charity group in all of Japan at this point."

She laughed and gave him a saucy look. "I didn't make your schedule Sesshomaru, I just manage it."

True. He could blame Jaken for that.

They put the emeralds back in their velvet box, stopped downstairs to lock them up in a secure safe in the manager's office, and then continued on to breakfast. They'd barely sat down before Rin opened the computer and began to type, a look of concentration on her face. "We should ask the kitchen for a couple of sandwiches before we go." She told him absently. "It's going to be one of those days."

He crossed his arms as a waiter put a cup of coffee in front of him, frowning. Damn it. The last thing he wanted was _one of those days_. He wanted a day of relaxation. A day of spending time with Rin and seeing that beaming smile of hers again. He wanted to see her face light up like it had when she'd bought those ugly, ridiculous souvenirs. He most certainly did not want to spend it listening to a charity or three describing how his money would be best spent by them.

He looked over at her. There were hints of smudges under her eyes. She looked tired, and it wasn't just from last night. He suspected his grueling schedule would exhaust anyone. He knew he was certainly tired of it. He drummed his fingers on the table, thinking. "Have you had a chance to see much of Japan, Rin?"

She was reading emails and her lips moved, as if she were committing the information to memory. He had to repeat the question again before she looked over at him. "What? Oh, no, we've been too busy for that."

Even as she spoke, she put her hands on the keyboard and began to type again. Then, she pulled out a notepad and began to make notes. And looking at her, he could see that she was running herself ragged. Just like him. And for one day, he'd had enough. He thought of her excitement at the trivial souvenir stand they'd visited. How would she react when he showed her Japan by the light of day instead of a quick walk at night?

He picked up his coffee cup. "I think I will be sick today."

It took a moment for Rin to stop typing, and when she did, she looked over at him. "Huh?"

"I'm sick." He enunciated, and took a sip of coffee. "Cancel my appointments."

"Oh, but . . ." She looked at the computer, then back at him, frowning. "What about—"

"It's either appointments with my mother, other titled people who want a visit from a man of high status, or people who want my money. Tell the charities that they can send me a bill and I will give them what they want. Tell everyone else to piss off."

She chuckled. "Shall I write it just like that? Lord Sesshomaru Taisho wishes for you to piss off."

"You can word it much nicer, of course. And then we are going to go sight-seeing."

Her eyes lit up, which was all that he needed to know he'd made the right decision.

* * *

After breakfast, they retreated back to their rooms to change. Sesshomaru figured that if they didn't want to be followed, they'd need disguises. Rin had picked up a few touristy shirts and baseball caps for family back at home, and so they'd separated to change into jeans and the ugly silk-screened T-shirts. He pulled his hair into a long ponytail, then shoved a baseball cap over his head and frowned at his reflection. "Appalling."

Of course, when Rin returned a few minutes later, a baseball cap and a tight T-shirt and jeans outlining her curves, he had to change his mind on their choice of clothing. Her delectable derriere filled out her jeans remarkably well. This, he decided, was a good plan.

"I brought you some sunglasses, too." She told him, and produced a pair of plastic monstrosities with the lenses printed with the words 'I heart Japan.'

"I do not need glasses."

"It's all part of your disguise. Now take them and put them on."

He did, and turned to give her an unhappy glare.

She choked on a laugh at the sight of him. "Very nice." She told him, unable to keep a straight face.

"The first place we are going is a sunglasses store." He admonished her, trying to scowl and unable to in the presence of her happiness.

"Come on." She told him, and extended her hand for him to take. "I know the back way out of the hotel. No one will see us."

He put his hand in hers and was surprised at how pleasant it was. Hers was warm and soft and reminded him of her touches last night. This was definitely getting more enjoyable by the minute. They went through the maze of the hotel and then through the back loading dock, and escaped down a narrow alleyway, walking two blocks before coming out into the midst of the busy Japanese streets.

"Where to first?" She asked him with a squeeze of his hand.

He tapped his sunglasses. "We are getting rid of these."

She laughed again, and they went off.

* * *

Sesshomaru decided he actually liked spending time with Rin. She was fascinated by everything, from the street vendors, to the baked goods sold on the corners. They passed plenty of stores, but she was more interested in buying things to send to family than for trinkets of her own. He got a far less embarrassing pair of sunglasses, and he let her lead the way after that. To his surprise, she was just as interested in the older buildings of Japan as she was with the touristy stops. Every time they stopped at a building, she stopped and would ask him questions. It was a pleasure walking the streets with her and telling her about his homeland, and she soaked up every word. He especially liked her intake of breath when they took a ride to Nagamachi's samurai district. Even when they passed by Sesshomaru's old mansion, she was in complete awe.

"It's so beautiful." She told him.

"It is very old." He agreed.

"And you used to live here?"

"Yes." And then he went into an accounting of the mansion's history.

He explained that he purchased it during the feudal era when he was in his human years of seventeen. Of course, years later because he traveled a lot during that era, he later left the house and sold it to a wealthy lord, which later after generations had passed was turned over to the history association. And as he said all this, Rin listened to every word with wide-eyed pleasure. He made a mental note that he'd have to arrange for her to travel with him on a future trip. Perhaps to Paris. Wouldn't she be impressed in seeing Notre Dame? He knew he'd found it an invigorating sight, and he wouldn't mind seeing it again, through her eyes.

Then he frowned at himself. Rin wasn't his assistant. She was simply a fill-in. Though he could hire her, since she currently didn't have a job he could very well keep her. However, hiring her would cause all kinds of new problems. Jaken was rather possessive of his job, and the last thing that Sesshomaru needed was two assistants. He'd have to figure out the details somehow.

"Wow, they sure like desserts here, don't they?" Rin asked, her voice catching his attention. She'd paused in the street, staring at a sweets shop.

"Japan is very proud of its desserts." He told her. "Do you want to try some?"

"I thought you'd never ask." She said, grinning.

A few minutes later, they emerged from the shop, two bags of delicious Japanese sweets. Rin was sampling a dango and daifuku in her hands, while Sesshomaru a uiro and mochi ice cream. Rin had to practically beg Sesshomaru to get something sweet as well when he told her that he didn't' partake in sweets. However, he caved in a bought the ones he remembered eating as a child.

As they left the shop, she took a piece of her dango. "This is delicious! I think I'm starting to like Japan."

He laughed. "We take desserts very seriously here."

She eyed his mochi. "Is yours better than mine?"

"You want to give it a taste?" They moved to a nearby bench and sat down. "I will share if you want."

"If I say yes, are you going to laugh at me for eating yours and mine?"

"Not at all. Only if you do not mind I feed it to you."

"Of course not." She leaned forward a bit and took a bit of the mocha ice cream. Then, she moaned. "Oh my God, that's incredible. Why is everything so good here?"

He couldn't take his eyes off her mouth, the small pink tongue darting out to lick at the corners of her lips, and then retreating back between those pretty, perfect lips. And now he had a rather uncomfortable erection forming. He closed his eyes and started counting back from a hundred, even as she made little pleased noises in her throat as she ate her dessert.

"You want to taste mine, Sesshomaru?"

God, she was really going to drive him to distraction today, wasn't she? Forget the counting. He opened his eyes and looked over at her, just as she was taking another bite of her dango. Her lips covered in some of the syrup on them.

He leaned forward and took her lower lip in his mouth, sucking on it. "Delicious." He murmured, and then nibbled on her upper lip while she made soft mewing sounds that drove him wild. "I think I like yours better."

She stared at him, dazed, as he pulled away. Her lips were slightly parted, her mouth wet from his kisses. "You . . . you want to taste it again?" Her voice was breathless.

"More than anything." He admitted. "But if I do, they will cite me for public indecency."

Her gaze flicked to his lap, where his arm was carefully maneuvered over his groin. And she laughed. "I'm sorry. I'll behave."

"Let's discuss something that will rid me of my problem, shall we? And save the tastings for later."

"All right." She said cheerfully, and took a bite of her daifuku. After a moment, she said, "Tell me about your childhood and family."

That'd do it. Talk of his family always made any sexual thoughts disappear. "Must I?"

"Well, no, I guess you don't have to. But it would be interested to hear your family's history."

"Very well then. My father Inutaisho Takahashi, was a powerful demon and well known throughout Japan during the feudal era. He ruled the western lands and during that time he met my mother and years later I was born. During my youth I was raised by my mother to one day rule over my father's lands and rise to greatness. Since my father ruled the western lands of Japan he would often travel. As time had changed, my father sold some of the land he owned and started his company. During a business meeting in the US, he met another woman and married her and Inuyasha was born. In human standards I would say I was about nineteen but already two hundred at the time."

"Your dad married another woman while he was still married to your mom?"

"Yes. He requested they divorced when my father told my mother that he met someone else and fell in love with her. From what I saw from my mother, she never spoke or had any ill will towards him that he left her for a human woman. In fact, whenever she mentions him, she still holds a great amount of love and respect for him."

"Well that's surprising. I think I would've been pretty upset if a man I married and had a child with met another woman and left me for her with a child to raise." Rin said.

"I was upset when my father told me the news, especially when I found out the woman he planned to marry was human. I respected our family bloodline and despised my half-brother and his human mother for defiling it. For a while, I did not even try and get to know Inuyasha and his mother. Whenever my father invited me to outings with them, I refused."

"You even disliked humans back then?" She asked him.

"I never found any use for them and always thought of them as lowly creatures." He replied, honestly.

"And do you still feel that way now? Do you feel such dislike for Inuyasha and his mom?" She couldn't imagine why Sesshomaru could at one time hate Inuyasha. From the time she met him, Inuyasha seemed like such a nice guy.

"I have learned to be cordial to Inuyasha and have long acknowledged my father's new wife as my stepmother."

"And what about humans?"

"Some of them are not so terrible." He said.

Rin gave a bright smile. "Well that's good to hear. And hopefully hanging out with me shows that not all humans are as lowly as you think we are."

Oh he couldn't argue with that. In spending the amount of time he had with Rin, his feelings towards humans were slowly breaking piece by piece. Of course there were some humans that would always irritate him, but some weren't so bad. And Rin was certainly put in a special category from the others and valued more than the others.

"At any rate." Sesshomaru said, continuing. "Later on I decided instead of taking over my father's businesses, like my mother wanted, I would start my own company and travel to the States to do so. My mother was not pleased at the thought, but I would not be budged. At the time, I started to grow tired of Japan and figured going to college in the states would be best."

"She finally let you go." Rin commented.

"Yes, eventually. It took me a while, however, I convinced her that it would be a good thing for me. After I graduated from college and after two years of hard work, I started my company."

"Well obviously it paid off since your one of the richest men in the entire world. I'm sure your parents are proud, especially your mom since you branched away from the family and started something on your on." Rin said.

"I suppose so." Sesshomaru agreed. "It certainly got her off my back for a while. Though I would always get a call from her worrying about not having this or that."

Rin laughed. "Parents, no matter what, they'll always call and bug you."

Sesshomaru couldn't help but chuckle along with her.

* * *

They spent the day walking the streets of Japan, hand in hand. Rin purchased a few souvenirs, but they spent most of the time simply strolling, visiting tourist spots, and tasting confections and regular food at every shop they passed. By the time they headed back to the hotel, Sesshomaru was exhausted and his stomach ached from too much sweets, but he'd enjoyed every moment of the day.

She tugged her hand from his when they got to their floor and headed to her door.

He was surprised. They'd kissed several times today, flirted even more, and held hands for hours. Was she not going to sleep by him tonight? He'd be lying if he didn't admit he'd been thinking about it all day. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head and pushed open her door. "I just need to call my mama and do a few things." And she disappeared inside before he could say anything else.

Was she blowing him off? Tired of spending all her time with him? Frustrated, he tore off the hideous baseball cap he was wearing and tossed it onto the bed. He picked up his tablet and began to read, but irritation kept him from being able to concentrate. Instead, he got up and began to pace.

The faint sound of Rin's voice made him pause, and he leaned against the door adjoining their rooms. She was definitely on the phone, though her voice was pitched too low for him to make out. He sighed and returned back to the bed and picked up his tablet again, reading the same paragraph over and over. Why was it so important that she call her mother just before bedtime? He'd thought they'd gotten along very well today. Actually, more than just well. He'd never felt so comfortable with a woman. Normally, he didn't bother with relationships and if he felt the dire need for sex, he would seek out a woman for one night and be done with her hours later.

He could honestly say that he wouldn't want Rin for just one night, but plenty. In fact, he rather hated that she was gone. Did he say he hated hovering? Was that why she'd disappeared, to give him space? Because he rather liked her hovering. She listened to all of his stories and seemed genuinely interested in them, as opposed to simply humoring him. He'd even talked about his current project for at least an hour and she had seemed interested. Unless he was just bad at reading her? Perhaps he'd said something that troubled her and she wanted someone to complain to? A guilty stab made him sit up in bed. Had he inadvertently hurt her feelings again with his careless words? Oh hell.

He got up from the bed and went to the adjoining door. He raised his hand to knock just as she opened it. She looked at his hand in surprise, and then beamed at him. "Miss me?"

He lowered his hand. "Is something wrong?"

"Nope." She stepped into his room and shut the door behind her.

"Do we need to talk?"

"Nope." She repeated, and began to undo the zipper on her tight jeans. "Wanna take a shower?"

"Together?"

"Yep, you and me. Just a little bit of fun before bedtime. What do you think?" She gave him a sassy wink and dropped her jeans, then stepped out of them. A string bikini panty curved along her hips and the triangle of fabric in the back seemed to hug her derriere more than cover it. It was a glorious sight.

"I think that is a splendid idea." He murmured, following her into the bathroom.

The bathroom in his suite was almost as large as her room. He had an enormous sunken jetted tub and a stonework shower that swallowed a great deal of the floor. He watched her pad into the room, stripping off her shirt and revealing a plain beige bra that turned him on more than any lacy undergarment he'd ever seen. "You have any towels Sesshomaru?"

"Somewhere." He wasn't leaving this room, not while she was taking off her clothing.

She went to the counter where his soaps and shampoos were kept in a dainty basket, picked one up, and sniffed it. "Yours are different than mine. Have you been taking the extras every day?"

"Extras?"

"You know, they replace them every morning with new ones. You're supposed to hide them if you don't use them so you get new ones every day."

He frowned. "Isn't that a bit like stealing?"

"Nope. The hotel expects you to do that." She wagged her finger at him. "I need you to start hiding the bottles every morning if you don't use them. And the soaps, for me."

"I can buy you soaps—"

"It's not the same as a free hotel score." She teased him, then began to unhook her bra.

"I can't believe we are having a discussion about purloining hotel soaps while you are getting undressed." He murmured, fascinated by her casual stripping.

She paused just as she unclasped her bra. "You're right. You should be getting undressed, too." She let the loose bra hang on her shoulders as she approached him, a mischievous look on her face. Her hands went to his zipper and she rubbed him through his jeans. "Seems like someone's mind is on something other than showering."

He groaned. God, she was forward with a little confidence. He loved it. Hell, he wished he'd dragged her into his bed a week ago. "You're a vixen."

"Maybe." She teased, and rubbed his groin again. "Maybe I'm just encouraging you to get out of these clothes so you can come scrub my back."

"Is that all you want from me is a back scrub?"

"Depends on how good you are at it." She said, and her hands went to his shirt, tugging at the hem.

"I'm the best damn back-scrubber you have ever met, then." Sesshomaru grabbed her hands in his and pulled her against him.

She tilted her face up to meet him just as he leaned in to kiss her, and their lips met. Once again, he was stunned at how good it was to kiss her. How her lips and tongue melded to his and those soft noises she made when he kissed her. He loved all of it. His hands stroked up and down her bare back, and then he tugged at the loose bra on her shoulders.

She shimmied out of it and then pulled away from him, breathless, those wild curls haloing her face. Her breasts gave a little bounce as she straightened, and he was fascinated by them. They were every bit as gorgeous as he'd pictured them. Full, the curves rounded, and a small pale pink nipple tipping each one. He couldn't help himself, he reached out and brushed the backs of his fingers over it. "You are lovely."

Rin whimpered in her throat and tugged at his neck, dragging him back against her. "Kiss me again."

He did, his tongue stroking into her mouth boldly even as he put both hands on her breasts and cupped and kneaded them as he kissed her. She moaned with pleasure, and he felt her breasts push against his hands as if begging for more. "I love touching you." He whispered against her mouth.

"We're never going to make it to the shower at this rate." She warned him, her eyes full with desire.

"Oh, we will." He said, and ran his thumb over the tip of one nipple, delighting in her shiver of response. "The only thing better than seeing these gorgeous breasts is the thought of seeing them wet and heaving."

"I want to see you naked, too."

Sesshomaru pulled off his shirt, pleased at her admiring glances and the way she reached for him. It was gratifying to know she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

"Now the pants." She demanded.

"You're rather bossy, aren't you?" But he unzipped his pants and shucked them off, his boxers following. As he did, he noticed she was stripping her panties off, too. Then they were standing in front of each other, completely naked.

She put her fingers to her lips, considering his form. Then, she peeked up at him and smiled. "You've been hiding quite a bit under your clothes there." Her hand moved forward to stroke his cock. "This is . . . rather inspiring."

"So is this." He said, and put a hand over the dark floss of her mound.

Rin moaned and pushed against his hand, her arm sliding around his neck.

"Do you like my touch, Rin?" He murmured, glorying in her jerky nod of response. "You want me to go scrub your back for you now?"

The look she gave him was slightly dazed, and she kept glancing at his mouth, as if torn between kissing him and paying attention to his words. "I think . . . um . . . scrub?"

"You sure?" He teased. "Because I can keep kissing you if you'd rather..." And he flexed his palm against her mound.

"I change my vote to kissing." She said breathlessly, and leaned in again.

He lightly pressed his mouth to hers, and when she began to kiss along his jaw, he began to drag her toward the shower. "Come on."

She followed him in, her arms still wrapped around him, her mouth moving over every inch of skin she could touch. Somehow, he managed to untangle a hand long enough to turn on the water, and then he pulled her inside with him under the spray. He decided this was going to be a quick shower. He grabbed a washcloth from the rack outside of the shower and began to soap it up. Then he began to brush it over her rounded breasts, fascinated by the suds playing over her skin.

"Where's my cloth?" She asked, her hands smoothing over his skin.

"I'll do you first." He promised.

"Won't it be faster if we soap each other?"

The thought of her rubbing him down as he washed her was a rather enticing one. So Sesshomaru handed her his cloth, then leaned out of the shower to grab a second one. As soon as he wetted it, he turned to her and felt her soapy hand clasp around his cock.

He groaned, his eyes closing. His hand went to her hair, and he dragged her mouth to his, even as her hand continued to stroke along his length. "You're not going to let me last very long if this keeps up." He cautioned her, even as his hips pushed against her tight, slick grasp.

"Then don't last very long." She teased. "I don't mind."

"I think you're just distracting me from my original task." He said, and leaned in to kiss her. As his tongue slicked over her parted lips, he placed the wet washcloth over her breast and began to rub in small, pointed circles around her nipple.

Her hands tightened around his dick and she whimpered, pushing against him.

"That's right." He murmured between kisses and soapy petting of her body. "You are rather beautiful, you know that? I can't get enough of you."

She gave him a throaty laugh and squeezed him again, her fist moving up and down over him in a way that nearly sucked all the air out of his lungs. "That's just your dick talking."

"It's not." He told her, but she cut off his words with a frantic kiss of her own, and her hand began to stroke him harder and faster. He was going to come if she didn't stop, but . . . he didn't want her to stop. He pumped against her soapy hand, and she made needy noises in her throat with every stroke to let him know how much she liked touching him, and those sounds just drove him even wilder. He came with a hiss, his seed spurting over her hands and stomach once more.

"Mmm, I think I won that round." She gave him a delicious smile.

"Was it a contest?" He panted when he could catch his breath. "If so, you have to warn me about something like that."

"Why?"

"So I can use everything in my arsenal to make sure I come out on top." He pushed her against the wall of the shower, her back hitting the stonework. He pressed another hot, hungry kiss to her mouth, and it lasted so long that she was breathless when he pulled away.

Then, he slid a hand between her legs. "Now, it's my turn."

Her moans as she came, rocking against his hand, were rather gratifying.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: Again, I offer you guys another lime. But don't worry guys, they'll eventually do the deed soon. Next chapter, is the wedding so be on the look-out for it, until next time guys! ^_^


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.

* * *

Rin woke up to the alarm clock's caterwauling and the feel of Sesshomaru's arm around her. Unlike her normal slow-drag out of bed, she hopped into action almost immediately, tumbling out of bed in her haste. Excitement rushed through her. Today was going to be her surprise for Sesshomaru. Would he be mad, or would he be delighted? She was kinda hoping for delighted.

"Wake up." She told him, then leaned over to kiss him. "Big day today."

"Mmm?" His hand went to her hair and he tugged her down for a longer, more thorough kiss.

She pulled away from him reluctantly and said. "We have to get going or we're going to be late."

He sat up in the bed and watched her. "What do you mean, late? What can we possibly have scheduled before breakfast?"

"Well, for starters." She said, bounding out of bed. She headed for the adjoining door so she could change out of his T-shirt and boxers and into her own clothing. "You're sick again today."

"What?" He called after her.

Grinning to herself, she ignored him and headed to her closet, dragging out her only pair of jeans she'd brought with her again and another touristy Japan shirt. She didn't have many casual clothes with her, unfortunately, and today definitely didn't call for a pantsuit.

Sure enough, Sesshomaru opened the adjoining door without knocking just as she'd pulled his T-shirt over her head. He stopped, stared at her bare breasts for a moment, and then shook his head as if to clear it. "What do you mean, I'm sick again today?"

"I cleared your schedule." She said, pulling on a bra and deliberately making her breasts jiggle a bit more just to watch his gaze head there.

"You did." He couldn't take his eyes off her breasts, which was rather amusing.

"I did. And we have to bring breakfast with us, otherwise we're going to be late for our trip."

"Our trip." He echoed, and then seemed to realize what he was saying. "What do you mean, 'our trip'?"

"I mean, our trip to the National Modern Art Museum." She corrected. "You wanted to see that exhibit by that artist you like and we're going to see his work."

"But the last day to see his work was yesterday. Most likely today they are packing up his exhibits."

"Not quite." Rin said, grinning. "I was able to make a call to the museum and said that you were a big fan of the artist's work and they were more than happy to keep all the exhibits out and open the museum early specifically for us so we can view the artist's work in a special tour. The tour shouldn't take too long and we'll be back in time for the wedding later." She finished, and pulled her T-shirt over her head. "But we need to get going if we're going to make it on time."

"But my appointments?"

"Will just have to wait or get cancelled." She said. "You didn't want to spend the morning having tea anyhow, did you?"

He rushed forward, startling her. But he grabbed her cheeks and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. "You are the best woman I have ever met."

She laughed. "I take it you're fine with the schedule, then?"

"More than fine." He said, and then left for his room. "But let's hurry up and get to the museum!"

She grinned and slid on her jeans. "Yes, sir."

* * *

Two hours later, Rin rode in the back of the sedan, her head cushioned in Sesshomaru's lap as they headed to the hotel. It had been a long morning, but a wonderful one. They had driven to the museum and was greeted by the manager of the place and were free to roam the building and see all the exhibits. Rin watched happily as Sesshomaru's normally emotionless face lit up with enthusiasm. They moved from piece to piece and when they passed one that confused Rin, Sesshomaru was more than eager to explain what the piece represented.

Rin was interested in it because Sesshomaru was. She loved seeing his face happy as he discussed some of the pieces and read what each one was. And during their walk around the museum, he had been attentive to her. He held her hand when they walked about, and he would often stop somewhere and pull her in and kiss her hair, or murmur naughty things in her ears that made her blush.

They'd eventually left, once they saw all the pieces the artist had to offer. Sesshomaru even purchased a few he liked to be shipped back to the states. Rin felt proud and accomplished for what she did. He was more content than he had been all week, and had a packet of new pieces the artist could pay later on. She had napped against him for a few minutes on the ride back, since it was still pretty early in the morning. Even now, she could barely keep awake as they rode to the hotel, so when he'd encouraged her to put her head down in his lap, she hadn't needed much persuading. And as she relaxed and snuggled against his strong thighs, he'd absently played with her loose strands. And she'd been so utterly content.

This was the Sesshomaru she was coming to adore. This man was not the snarling, arrogant aristocrat, but a man filled with enthusiasm for his work. Who didn't mind if she didn't hover next to him, but still wanted her close by so he could hold her hand or press kisses to her skin in idle moments and smiled at her like she'd lit the sun that day.

She could fall in love with a guy like that.

When they got back to the hotel room, he insisted on dragging her into his room. Not for sex, he told her, but just so they could sleep together. She'd half-fallen asleep before she'd even taken her pants off, and had drowsily flicked in and out of consciousness as Sesshomaru removed her sneakers and jeans, and then crawled into bed next to her.

She could've sworn he'd said. "You are an exceedingly wonderful woman, Rin." Just as she'd drifted off to sleep, but it might have been her imagination.

* * *

At twelve o'clock, it was a flurry of activity. They'd woken up hours later, as Sesshomaru had to be at the estate early for a wedding lunch, invited personally by Lady Akira. Then, he'd have to change into his tux, attend the ceremony at the magnificent church in the heart of Japan, and then endure hours of photographs before he could finally escape. There was a wedding reception that evening, but he had no desire to attend. He figured that since he and Rin wouldn't be attending, it would be safe for him to skip out on things. But first, he had to get through the afternoon, and it was going to be long and tedious, and he told Rin so repeatedly while she tried to fix his tie.

She slapped him lightly on the chest. "Hold still, Mr. Fussiness."

"Actually, my correct title would be Lord Fussiness." He corrected, and couldn't resist running the backs of his fingers over the curve of her breast as she leaned over him.

She wiggled away and gave his tie one last pat. "You're all set now, Lord Fussiness." She told him, but there was a smile in her voice. "And it could be worse. You could have to wear one of these little hats." She pointed at the powder blue feathered-and-netted confection in her hair.

"It's called a fascinator." He told her. "Everyone will be wearing one."

"It looks like a quail got netted and slapped on a plate." She grumbled. "And then smacked onto my head."

He chuckled, because it did look a bit like that. "Does not matter. Everyone has to wear in while attending the wedding."

"Yes, but I'm not in the wedding." She teased, adjusting the tiny decorative net on her fascinator. "I'm merely a lowly servant who has no duties except to wait on you hand and foot."

"A delectable, enchanting servant." He corrected, unable to stop himself from leaning in to kiss her neck. "With a rather lovely pair of breasts that I can't seem to stop touching." He reached into her modest neckline and placed a hand over her breast, delighted that her nipple hardened at his touch.

"Now you listen to me, Lord Naughty." She said breathlessly, and squirmed away from his hand, though she turned and snuggled up against his chest. "If you behave yourself today, I was just thinking that we might make ample use of this lovely hotel room while you have it."

His groin immediately hardened in his pants. "Oh?"

"Yep." Her eyes flashed desire at him, and she lightly traced his jawline with her nails. "Think the hotel has a box of condoms we could snatch up?"

"I cannot send to the hotel for condoms." He said hoarsely. "It would be in every Japanese scandal rag in the morning."

She gave a mock pout that fascinated him, her pink lower lip gleaming and plump. "Then I guess we don't get to have much fun tonight, do we? What a shame, because I was so looking forward to it—"

Unable to stop himself, Sesshomaru leaned in and kissed the hell out of that sultry little mouth. Her stupid fascinator banged against his glasses, but he didn't care. Once his lips touched hers, Rin's mouth was open and warm and willing, and her tongue met his with equal desire. By the time he pulled her away, she was staring up at him with a dazed look that made him want to throw her onto the bed and fuck the hell out of her, wedding be damned.

He glanced over at the clock. Dammit. He had to be at the Soto estate within the hour. "This damn wedding is killing me."

She gave him a soft, sultry giggle and straightened his tie. "How about I have the driver drop you off at the estate and then I have him swing me around to the pharmacy to pick up some condoms?" Her fingers smoothed down his jacket, and then slid all the way down the front of his pants to cup his already aching erection. "Extra-large, I'm guessing?"

"You know how to flatter a man." He reluctantly removed her hand, even though he wanted to shove against it over and over until he came. "And that sounds like a lovely plan. Boring lunch, even more boring wedding, and then fucking until dawn."

"Until dawn?" She gave him an impressed look. "Perhaps I should buy two boxes of condoms, then."

"Not necessary." He told her.

"Not much stamina in the royal pole, my lord?" She said, innocently.

He leaned in and brushed his lips against her ear. "I figure if we run out, I can just spend the rest of the evening tonguing that rather charming little pussy of yours."

Her sucked-in breath was extremely gratifying to hear. She whimpered. "I might need to change my panties before we go."

"Poor woman." He said with zero sympathy, his own cock throbbing for release. As she hurried into the other room, he sat on the edge of the bed and began to count backward from one hundred.

When that didn't work, he did it again.

Tonight was going to be worth every day of this ridiculous running around, he decided.

* * *

A short time later, they headed down to the bottom floor of the hotel. The manager met them as they emerged from the elevator, a worried frown on his face.

"Lord Sesshomaru, there are quite a few photographers at the front of the building. I've arranged to have an unmarked sedan parked at the back of the hotel, and your driver is awaiting you there. If you'll please follow me, I'll lead you there."

"Damn paparazzi." Sesshomaru said, rubbing his forehead in annoyance. "Very well."

Rin moved to Sesshomaru's side. "It'll all be over with soon, Sesshomaru." She murmured.

He shot her a look just as the manager did, but said nothing, and for a moment, she wondered what she'd done wrong. It was just nerves, she decided. Sesshomaru hated parading around people. He was likely to get all stiff and prickly today. She would just have to ignore it and tease him about it later.

Despite going down the back hallways of the hotel, there were still too many people lingering about. It seemed that all of the staff had turned out that day and were finding excuses to travel down the hall at the same time they were. All eyes were on Sesshomaru, and because she was with him, Rin. She felt stupid in her fascinator hat, as well as uncomfortable and out of place. Were these people looking at her and judging her because her hair was in the messy locks that he frowned upon so much? Was her dress tucked into the back of her pantyhose? She surreptitiously felt her butt, but everything seemed okay on that end. She was just nervous.

She looked at Sesshomaru and he seemed equally tense. Poor man. Her heart swelled with affection for him, and she knew that starchy, I-loathe-everything-and-everyone look on his face masked his own unease. Sliding a bit closer as they walked down the long hall, she brushed her hand against his and attempted to take his fingers in her own.

His hand brushed off hers. Maybe he hadn't noticed her attempt to take his hand? She strode a little closer to him and deliberately took his hand into hers.

He pulled away and looked over at her with a frown. "Not now, Rin"

She blinked in surprise. "What do you mean, not now?"

He shifted, walking a little faster as if trying to remain out of her grasp. "Right now, I am Lord Sesshomaru Taisho, and I do not hold hands."

"Oh…sorry." Her cheeks burned with mortification and she avoided the gaze of the people watching them. How utterly humiliating.

He didn't notice her discomfort, and he said nothing. He wasn't even looking at her. She was confused, but she figured it must just be nerves. That was what it had to be, right? He wouldn't be cruel to her again, not after how close they'd gotten? Not after their wonderful morning earlier? He'd cuddled her and held her hand as they'd toured the museum. What was different now?

They were silent as they got into the car and drove toward the estate. The streets were crammed with people, street barricades and police officers lining the way. Rin began to get caught up in the excitement of the day. They were about to see a royal wedding. Heck, she was going to see it firsthand! Well, almost. She'd actually be waiting in the back with the rest of the staff, but that was okay, too.

The crush of people near the gates of the estate was overwhelming, and the driver's car slowed to a crawl. "My goodness." She murmured. "Everyone's so excited."

"It's not every day a demon heiress marries a human millionaire." Sesshomaru said in a dry voice.

"I suppose not." She gave him a curious look, wondering at his mood. He sounded a bit more like his unpleasant, emotionless self.

When they got to the front doors, a guard came down the steps and the chauffeur got out of the car to come to Sesshomaru's door. To Rin's surprise, Sesshomaru leaned over and gave her a quick, fierce kiss on the lips. "You will go and get the condoms?"

"I'll go." She agreed, and laughed at the look of pleasure on his face. That was more like the man she knew. His hurtful action earlier had to simply be nerves. "See you soon."

And then he was gone. As he appeared from the car, she could hear the roar of the crowd grow larger and larger, and he paused to straighten himself, giving a faint glance to the surrounding people before heading inside. Even if Sesshomaru didn't like the crowds, they liked him. What wasn't to like, Rin mused to herself, waiting for the driver to get back at the wheel. He was young, handsome, incredibly wealthy, and titled. And reclusive. It was a fairy tale in the making.

"Where to, miss?" The driver said once he got back into the car.

"A pharmacy." She said, ignoring the blush on her cheeks. "And then we'll head back to the estate, but to the servant's entrance." She wasn't allowed through the front doors.

"Very well, madam."

The drive to the pharmacy took longer than she imagined, thanks to the crowds. It was hard not to get excited by their enthusiasm. Everywhere she saw pictures of Akira's elegant face, her engagement portrait with Lance. This was a public affair for everyone involved, it seemed, and it was so fun to be part of it.

The driver eventually pulled up to a corner building. "Pharmacy, madam."

"Thank you. I'll be just a moment." She told him, and got out of the car before he could get her door for her.

She hurried inside, feeling conspicuous with her hat and dress. Inside, the pharmacy was quaint, the shelves short and loosely filled with an assortment of items. There seemed to be more souvenirs at the front than actual pharmaceuticals, she thought wryly to herself, but went up and down the meager aisles, searching for condoms. It felt a little embarrassing to be buying only condoms, so she grabbed a box and then headed to the souvenir stands. She'd already purchased most of the postcards and tiny flags and a commemorative mug, but today, the stands were full of newspapers and magazines, all headlining the marriage of demoness Akira Soto to famous CEO Lance Salvatore. One paper had an enormous picture of the two of them kissing at the ball, and underneath the headline was the subhead 'Updates on all attendees at the Wedding of the Year!'

Curious if Sesshomaru was there, she picked up the thick paper and then headed to the counter. The clerk gave her a curious look, but said nothing. He rang her up and she paid with Sesshomaru's business card that he'd given her a few days before. Then, she headed back out to the sedan.

"Back to the estate." She announced, tucking the box of condoms into the seat next to her.

When the sedan crawled out onto the crowded streets again, she picked up the newspaper and began to flip through it. There were pictures of Akira and Lance in various stages of life, which were charming. After the first ten pages of photos dedicated to the demon bride and human groom, the paper began to include other high people who attended the ball. Several pages were of high ranking demons and business tycoons. There was Sesshomaru's mother, looking just as regal and beautiful. Rin then looked at the pictures of a business tycoon she never heard of with his wife, a timid-seeming blonde with a child at her side. One page was entirely devoted to the man's notorious philandering, and Rin felt sorry for his poor wife, who had to endure public humiliation. 'But that's not the only business tycoon who can't keep it in his pants,' the bottom of the page proclaimed with a big red arrow indicating that the reader should turn the page. Obligingly, Rin did so, curious.

And stopped, stunned.

There was Sesshomaru.

He was unsmiling and staring ahead at the camera, at his mother's side in an official photo. Another photo of him, blurry and grainy, sitting with her on the park bench and sharing desserts and kissing. Someone had been following them that day. But the worst was a picture of Sesshomaru at the ball, standing with a tall, beautiful woman. She was leaning in to touch his face as he was smiling at her. He was smiling at her. At this strange, beautiful woman. The caption of the photo read, 'Lord Sesshomaru Taisho, cozies up with Princess Sara Asano. Will he finally make an honest woman out of her?'

The caption under her picture with Sesshomaru, of that innocent day on the park bench sharing desserts? 'Lord Taisho sows some wild oats with one of his American mistresses.'

Rin felt as if she'd been slapped in the face.

One of?

Her gaze flicked back to the picture of Sesshomaru with the princess. Make an honest woman out of her? _Her_? Trembling, Rin folded the newspaper and brought it closer so it was easy to read despite the blur of tears in her eyes.

'Old friends Lord Sesshomaru and Princess Sara Asano snuggle at Lady Akira's wedding ball. Rumor has it that the Lord returned to Japan specifically to request her hand in marriage, and sources say that the two have never been closer. The Princess' family has reportedly been pushing for a match between the two royals, as it would connect the two in a much anticipated business union. The two have been friends since childhood. "It's only a matter of time," says a close confidant of the pair. "Mark my words. He'll marry her when he's ready to settle down."

Rin dropped the newspaper onto the seat, repulsed. She'd been flirting with the man, undressing and showering with him. Sleeping in his bed. Kissing him. Hell, she'd gone out to buy condoms today, and all the while, he was flirting with a royal princess who he intended on marrying? Who was Rin to him if she wasn't his girlfriend?

With a sick lurch in her stomach, she remembered her attempt to hold his hand earlier. He'd turned her away. _"Not right now."_ She understood what that meant. Not in public. Not where others can see us. Not if he was going to marry a princess. He didn't want to be seen with her if she was just a convenient fuck.

She burst into tears.

"Madam?" The driver looked back in the rearview mirror at her. "Is everything all right?"

"Oh, sure." She said, and only cried harder. She felt so stupid. She felt . . . crushed. She'd really thought they had something. That she'd seen who the real Sesshomaru was underneath that starchy exterior, but now she wondered if he'd only changed because he'd wanted someone to fuck before he proposed to a princess.

It hurt so much.

"Here, take this." The driver said, and she looked up to see him passing her a small box of Kleenex through the glass partition to the back seat.

"Thank you." She blubbered, and took the box from him. She mopped at her face, wincing at the mascara streaks appearing on the tissue. She'd have to fix her makeup before heading back to the estate. Her stomach dropped at the thought, and she dragged out a tiny mirror. She stared at her reflection for a long moment, and then ripped the fascinator out of her hair and tossed it on the floorboards of the car.

"Do you need a few minutes before we go back, madam?"

Rin wiped at her face again and thought, staring out the tinted window. She felt like a joke at that moment. She balled up the tissue and tossed it down, then grabbed another, stuffing a few more into her small handbag. She'd probably need handfuls of them if she was going to try and make it through the evening. The blue cover of her passport stared back at her, sticking out of her purse. She paused and stared at it. She always kept her ID and her passport on her at all times. She then thought of the items back in her room. Some jeans, some souvenirs, and several outfits that Sesshomaru had bought her because she was too embarrassing to be seen in public with or to hold hands with.

That hurt so much.

She dragged out her tiny coin purse and began to dig through it, looking for something. Sure enough, sandwiched between a few yen, she found a loose pill. She always kept one at hand in case of travel emergency, and it didn't matter if it was covered in lint or expired, she popped it into her mouth and swallowed it dry.

"Can you take me to the airport?" She asked the driver.

"Yes, madam."

"Thank you." And Rin gave him a teary smile.

* * *

Rin hadn't returned and she was nowhere to be found. Annoyed and tense, he'd snapped at his mother's equerry until the man had told him that she never came back with the car. She had vanished, and Sesshomaru felt a nagging bit of worry. She must have been sick and gone back to the hotel. He hoped she was all right. The thought of that sunny smile dampened by some illness made him feel a pang of sympathy. He'd get her some medicine or soup on the way home, he decided, and sent the order downstairs to the kitchens.

By the time Akira and Lance were safely wedded and all photographs and public appearances were done, he felt wrung out and exhausted. He didn't care about having sex with Rin that night. She was sick, and he was tired. He simply wanted to go back to his room and hold her. Tangle his fingers in those glorious locks and tell her all about the brutality of his day. Listen to her sweet voice as she comforted him, and snuggle up against her delicious body.

His groin decided that it cared about having sex, though. Just a little. He adjusted his pants underhandedly in the back of the sedan, eyeing the bagged container of chicken noodle soup on the floorboard that the kitchens had prepared for his ride home. There was a piece of white sticking out from under one of the seats, and he reached down to grab it.

When he realized it was a used tissue, he nearly dropped it in disgust, but the black smears on it made him pause. It looked like mascara. His heart gave a funny clench and he lifted the Kleenex so the driver could see it. "What is this?"

The man gazed in the rearview mirror. "Looks like a hanky, my lord."

Sesshomaru sighed. "I know that. What I want to know is what is it doing in the back of my sedan?"

"The madam must have dropped it before she headed to the airport, my lord."

He stilled. "Airport?"

"Yes, my lord."

Sesshomaru gritted his teeth. For once, he hated the rules that the well-trained staff of the high status followed, especially the "do not converse with the family."

"Why did you drive my assistant to the airport?"

"She insisted, my lord. She was crying quite a bit."

"Crying? Was everything all right?"

"I don't know, my lord." The man's gaze in the rearview mirror was carefully neutral. "She left a few things in the car and I wasn't sure what to do with them. They're in the trunk."

"I want to see them."

They pulled up to the back of the hotel and he hopped out, clenching the wad of tissue in his hand. "Open the trunk." He demanded, and knocked on it in case the man was going to take his sweet time obeying.

A moment later, he heard the pop of the trunk release, and Sesshomaru opened it, looking inside. Rin's fascinator was there, and the sight made his heart stop in his chest out of fear. What on earth was wrong? What made her cry and take off her hat and abandon him today? She was his assistant, damn it. He picked her hat up, as well as a newspaper. Underneath the newspaper, there was a box of condoms. He picked it up as well, mystified and frustrated. She'd gone through with her flirty words and picked up the condoms, so what had changed?

The driver came around to the back and gave him a curious look, holding out his bag with the containers of chicken noodle soup. He must've seemed strange, clutching a woman's feathery hat, a newspaper, and a box of condoms, but he took the soup from the man and paused. "Why did she want to go to the airport?"

"She didn't say, my lord." This time, there was a hint of reproach in the man's face, as if it were Sesshomaru's fault.

And that irritated him. "Thank you." Sesshomaru said abruptly. He turned and stalked into the hotel.

When he passed the security guard posted at the elevator to his floor, he asked the man. "Did my assistant come back here earlier today?"

"No, my lord. Shall I ring the front desk—"

"No." He tried to raise a hand to stop the man, but he was still clutching the box of condoms. Hell, he probably looked like an idiot. "Thank you."

Sesshomaru tossed his assorted parcels when he got back to his room and immediately headed for their adjoining door. Rin's room was just as she'd left it, her suitcase and clothing still in place, bags of souvenirs at the bottom of her closet. He picked up her suitcase and opened it. It was empty of everything except a small bag filled with hotel soaps and shampoos. She'd left all her things behind. He didn't understand. She'd left him without a word, abandoning her job, and she'd been crying. Had a family member died? Was that why she'd been in such a hurry? Concern for her shook through him, and he thought of his soft, sweet Rin devastated at the death of her mother or of her grandmother. She had such a good, kind heart. It would crush her.

He immediately checked his phone to see if there were messages. Nothing. Perhaps she'd been too upset to leave one. He pulled out his cellphone and checked it twice, then tried leaving himself a message to make sure it wasn't malfunctioning.

Then, he dialed the front desk. "I want a driver here in the morning, a new driver." He amended, thinking of the reproachful look the chauffeur had given him. "And I need my plane chartered for a flight out in the morning. Did you get all that?"

"Understood, sir."

"Good." He said, and hung up. Grabbing a suitcase, he flung it on the bed and began to shove clothes into it. He stopped when he'd only made it through his jackets and there was no more room in his suitcase. He only had two more and over half of his closet to go. How the hell had Jaken managed to squeeze all of his clothing into these things?

Frustrated, he sat down on the edge of the bed and raked a hand through his hair. As he stared ahead, combing his fingers through his hair, his gaze fell on the newspaper. He'd picked it up without giving it a second thought since Rin had left it in the car, and he'd just now noticed that the pages seemed to be curled and left open at a particular spot. He picked up the newspaper and flipped pages. It fell open to the middle, where someone had clearly been reading. The two-page splash was full of pictures of him. Him with Rin, and him with that blasted Princess Sara Asano.

'Lord Taisho sows some wild oats with one of his American mistresses.'

Dried tear-stains rumpled the paper, and Sesshomaru suddenly knew why his assistant had abandoned him.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: Well here you guys go! Man it started so well, but then it all went downhill in the end. Wonder how Sesshomaru is going to clean up this mess this time? Also, since I gave you guys two chapters within the same week, it's going to be a while before the next one come out, so until next time guys! ^_^


	13. Chapter 13

BlueMoon Goddess: Alright, I'm back with another chapter! Also, we're winding down on the last few chapters. I believe there are two more and then we're done. This chapter, is a

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.

* * *

The flight back to New York was interminably long. Sesshomaru spent most of it on phone calls. First were the cancellations of the rest of his Japanese appointments. He was scheduled to stay in the country for at least another week, and had to make his excuses to everyone, most of all his mother. Then there were calls to Jaken to arrange his travel home, a car to pick him up, and a million other things that seemed to pile up everywhere he turned. How had Rin managed to keep it all straight? He found her notes and grew frustrated all over again.

She hadn't trusted him in the slightest. That irritated him and wounded his pride. He'd been at her side every moment of the trip. When did she think he'd have time to go philandering about on her? Hadn't he let her wear his family's jewelry? Didn't she realize what a privilege that was? He'd give her a day or two to let her emotions calm down, he decided, and then he'd talk to her. Once she realized how foolish she was being, she'd return to him and he'd take her to bed. Then, she'd feel silly she ever doubted him.

He slept on the plane, pleased with his plans. He returned to his townhouse, greeted a rather still sickly Jaken, and waited for Rin to contact him.

A few days later, however, he hadn't heard from her, and he was rather concerned. Was she not aware that he'd followed her home from Japan? He searched for her phone number, but it was nowhere to be found. Damn, that was rather irritating.

So he texted Kagome. _Tell Rin to call me. It's important_.

A few minutes later, he picked up the phone. "Rin?"

"Hello, Sesshomaru." That was not Rin.

"Kagome." He greeted, sourly. "Why are you calling me? Where is Rin?"

"I don't' know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I mean, I really don't know. She just texted me saying thanks for all that I've done for her and for being a good friend here. My question is what did you do to her, you jerk?"

"You really should quit calling me names—"

"You really should stop being such a total asshole—"

He hung up on her. Sesshomaru stared at the phone for a minute, and then picked it up to call her back.

"Yes." Kagome grunted out.

"Just give me Rin's address. I will go talk to her myself."

"I want to know what you did to her first. Were you mean to her?"

He sighed. "I was not."

"Really? Because I don't believe that."

"All right, I was mean to her in the beginning—"

"That I believe—"

"—but then we grew to like each other." How did Inuyasha ever get a word in edgewise with this woman?

"That I don't know that I believe." Kagome said. "It would take a lot to make that her quit, but you managed to do so in the space of a single trip. I mean, do you know how often she used to call me about her previous boss and how he rude he was to her? And she just sucked it up and took it. But then here you come in, and I find out she up and run off."

"If you are trying to make me feel guilty, you cannot possibly make me feel worse than I already do."

"What if I told you that she'd called me, bawling her eyes out?"

His breath caught in his throat. "She did?" His poor, sweet, sunny Rin must have been so hurt. He felt like such a royal ass.

"Well, no. I was just curious what you'd say if I told you that."

He hung up on her again.

A moment later, his phone buzzed with an incoming text. Rin's address is here. She listed the address and followed it with a YOU'RE WELCOME.

It killed him to type thank you, but he did anyhow.

* * *

Rin's building was repugnant. Sesshomaru frowned to himself as he headed up the steps, eyeing the tinfoil in several of the windows. Air conditioners dripped condensation from above, leaving trails on the brick and making the entire place look as if it were weeping. He didn't blame it. The building was a hovel.

He knocked on her door, and there was no answer. Concerned, he headed down to the first floor and looked for the apartment of the landlord. He found one door that was less beat up than the others, took a guess, and knocked.

A dirty man in an equally dirty undershirt glared at him. "What do you want?"

It took everything he had not to hold a handkerchief to his nose in disgust. "I'm looking for Ms. Noto."

"She left."

"What do you mean, she left?"

"She moved out."

Frustration made Sesshomaru's nostrils flare. "Are you lying to me?"

The man crossed his arms and glared back at him. "You calling me a liar?"

He was, actually. But he wasn't going to get anywhere accusing this man. So he pulled out his wallet and opened it . . . and frowned because it was empty. Goddamn it. "Wait right here." He told the man.

Ten minutes later, he'd borrowed cash from his driver and returned to the landlord's door. He peeled several twenties off the stack and held them out to the man. "I want to see her apartment."

The man regarded him as if he were a dirty pervert, and for a moment, he felt like one. But he thought of the newspaper she'd left behind, and the clues it had offered him. Perhaps she'd left other things as well. Perhaps this man was lying to him because Rin had asked him to.

He had to know.

So he followed the sleazy landlord to the back of the building and watched as the man opened a rickety door with a set of keys. He pushed it open and gestured at Sesshomaru. "Don't make a mess in there, buddy."

Sesshomaru grimaced. Did he think he was going to jerk off on her things? He made a mental note to see about buying this building. But right now, his main thought was getting that landlord out of here. If he would take a couple of bills and show a woman's apartment to a stranger, Rin wasn't safe here. He walked in to her apartment. It didn't take much, considering it was one small, dirty windowless room. He was appalled at the sight of it, the cracks in the walls, and the water damage in the corner of the ceiling. There was no bathroom, no closet, no nothing. A single bed lay on the floor, the only thing remaining in the room. Despite the small dankness of the place, it was clean.

He couldn't imagine his sunny Rin here in this pit.

"Do you want to stay here alone for a while?" The man behind him asked. "I can look the other way for the right price."

Sesshomaru gave the man a scathing look, ignoring his question. "She left nothing here?"

"Nothing," He said. "She left in a hurry. Probably got fired from her job." He snorted in derision.

Sesshomaru's jaw tensed with anger. "Thank you. You have been most helpful." He turned and stalked out of the hole of her apartment, angrier than ever.

" _You can be as mean to me as you want, Mr. Taisho, but I'm going to do my job to the best of my ability, no matter how nasty you are."_

She'd put up with everything to succeed here, and he'd somehow destroyed that…and her heart, in one fell swoop. Angry at the world, but mostly at himself, he went back to his sedan. As he got in and waved the driver to return to his townhouse, he began to text Kagome.

 _I'm a horrible being alright. But can I please have Rin's home address. Her home in . . . wherever in God's name she would have gone back to. Arkansas? Louisiana? One of those places where they have small towns._

Soft, sweet, and adorable.

He ran a hand down his face. He really was a fucking idiot, wasn't he?

* * *

It was another weekly family dinner and Sesshomaru didn't want to be here. He didn't have much of an appetite or in the mood for company at the moment. Rin's missing presence was gnawing at him like an ache. He could talk about his work any time, but now he just wanted his girlfriend back. Was that what she was to him? He scowled as he put his fork down. Girlfriend seemed like the wrong word. It was too frivolous, too silly for how he felt at the moment. All he knew was that he needed her, and she was gone because he'd hurt her. And he needed to fix it.

"Are you alright son?" Inutaisho asked, eyeing him from across the table, frowning.

Sesshomaru stared at his plate, still not having much of an appetite, he gave up and pushed his plate aside.

The front door opened, and he looked up, his heart slamming. For once, he wanted to see half-brother and Kagome, mainly Kagome. She would probably know something about Rin. He could possibly get some information about Rin out of her.

The person he'd been waiting to see walked into the room, Kagome. She shrugged off her light coat and tossed it onto a nearby chair. "Sorry we're late. Inuyasha had a business call earlier and it ran late. Even though I told him he should've rescheduled."

"That's how Takahashi men are my dear." Izayoi said, getting up to give her a hug. "Believe me, once you are married you are married it will only get worse."

Kagome chuckled lightly. However when she spotted Sesshomaru, she gave him a slight glare in his direction. "Hello, dorkface."

"You're actually calling Sesshomaru names?" Inuyasha asked, coming in and heling Kagome sit, before taking the one next to her. "Really, if you want to call him names, I can think of better ones than that Kagome."

"Inuyasha—" Inutaisho began.

"It is fine." Sesshomaru said in a weary voice. "I seem to be on the bad side of several females lately."

"Oh, shit." Inuyasha said, filling up his plate with food. "What did you do? Too much pussy back in Japan?"

Sesshomaru glared at him. That was a little too close to the mark.

"Inuyasha, language!" Izayoi reprimanded him.

"Sorry. But anyway, how is everyone this evening?"

"We are doing fine son." Inutaisho said. "However, Sesshomaru did seem distant before you came in. Though Kagome, why did you call him that name?"

"Because he is one." Kagome replied, taking a sip of water.

"What makes you say that dear?" Izayoi asked this time.

"He asked one of my friends to be his secretary for his trip, had sex with her, and then fired her." Kagome declared.

"For the love of―" Sesshomaru started, his temper finally flaring. "I did not have sex with her, and I certainly did not fire her."

"If you didn't do her, then why are you so moody?" Inuyasha asked. "Blue balls, perhaps?"

"Inuyasha!" Izayoi chimed in again.

Sesshomaru glared at Inuyasha again. "You stay out of this."

"Sesshomaru, you did not do something you were supposed to do did you?" Inutaisho asked sternly.

"Father, I did not sleep with the girl."

"But he did hurt her feelings." Kagome said. "And whatever it was he did to her, he made her quit and she went back home."

"Sesshomaru, if you hurt that poor girl's feelings, you need to apologize." Izayoi said.

"She will not even answer my calls." He replied.

"Then take this bit of advice Sesshomaru." Kagome said. "I know Rin and I like her. I hate that you hurt her. But I can see you're not all sunshine and roses at the moment either, so I hope you're as messed up over her leaving as she is. And I just want to say that if you like her? Go after her and show it. You're not one to show his emotions, but it seems like spending time with her, really opened you up a bit."

Sesshomaru considered this. Kagome had hit the nail on the head. He was terrible at showing affection. It was in his nature. He was as emotionless and they came, the ice king, the one who barely showed his emotions at all. She was absolutely right. He wasn't good at this. And maybe, for Rin's sake, he needed to try harder. Would it have killed him to hold her hand when she'd wanted it held? It would have meant so much to her, and he wouldn't be in the situation he was now. Why in the hell had he cared so much? Why did it matter what people in Japan thought of him? He didn't live there anymore, didn't want to live there anymore, so why had he panicked when she'd tried to show a little public affection?

"Well?" Kagome challenged.

"Stunningly good advice, actually." He said. "Thank you."

She smiled. "You're quite welcome. And as an apology for calling you a dorkface earlier, I'll give you this." And she pulled a folded piece of paper out of her pocket and slid it toward him.

Sesshomaru stared at it for a long moment, and then reached out to take it in hand. He opened it slowly and stared at it. There was an address, a Pennsylvania one. He looked up at Kagome's sly face. "I could kiss you right now."

"But you won't." Inuyasha said, a glare on his face and pulling his woman closer.

Kagome just smiled. "Go get her, and bring her back."

With a nod, he got up the table and headed out the front door.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: And now Sesshomaru is going after Rin! Will she forgive him so easily? Or hell, would she even want to see him? Gotta wait until the next chapter to find out, so until next time guys! ^_^


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.

* * *

Rin woke up to wet, sloppy licks on her face from her coonhound. She rolled over, trying to get comfortable and away from the dogs enthusiastic tongue. "Go away, Sporty."

The dog whined and licked her arm instead.

Groaning, she dragged herself out of bed. "Fine, fine. Bathroom time." She padded across the floor to her room door and made her way down the hall to let the dog out the backdoor for a quick pee. The dog disappeared into the backyard with an excited woof as soon as the door was opened, and Rin stood on the porch, arms crossed, yawning, as she tried to wake up.

The house was silent, which meant that her brothers were still asleep in their rooms. Her mom's truck wasn't in the driveway, so she'd gotten up early and gone out, probably to the store. It was quiet and peaceful, and there was no sound but birds chirping in the trees, the rustle of leaves, and Sporty's snorting woofs in the bushes as he looked for just the right spot to mark.

It was nothing like New York City. And it troubled her that she even thought about that. As much as she liked being home with her mom, brothers, and her grandma nearby, it wasn't quite the same. She loved having her dog close at hand, but she was noticing things she'd never paid attention to before. The cracks in the brick on the sides of the house. The creaky, weathered wood of the porch, the muddy, unpaved road that led to their home. The absolute mess the house looked from all the repairs it needed.

She saw it through Sesshomaru's eyes and was ashamed. What would he think if he saw her living like this? And she hated that the thought even crossed her mind. Just because he was a snob didn't mean she had to be ashamed of her family. She wasn't. She just . . . couldn't help but see some of the things he'd turned his nose up at in the past. This was why he kept her a secret, she wasn't good enough for him. No small town girl, who barely was living on dollar to dollar would be right for Lord Sesshomaru Taisho, CEO and well-renowned demon lord.

She wiggled her bare toes and looked down at her pajamas. She refused to be messed up over a man who thought she was dirt. So why was it she couldn't stop thinking about him? Why was she so completely and totally hurt that he was ashamed of her? She'd thought he'd finally come to see her for who she was, and appreciated her help and her competence. Instead, he'd been lining her up to fuck in private while romancing a princess in public. That was the part that hurt the worst. That she'd been falling for him, and all the while, he'd been busy making sure no one saw him with her in public. She had such a stupid, soft heart. She brushed tears out of her eyes and watched Sporty circle a nearby tree. She was gullible and dumb and he'd preyed on that.

As the dog relieved himself, her mother's truck pulled up in the driveway, and she winced at the clanking sounds the engine made as it turned off. She didn't finish school, had no job in the city and now she was home, like the coward she was with nothing accomplished. And since she technically never got paid yet from being Sesshomaru's assistant, her dreams were out of reach for now, and possibly forever. She felt ashamed and defeated by that, too.

Really, she was just a mess, wasn't she? She sighed and surreptitiously swiped at her watering eyes again, then waved at her mother as she got out of her truck. "Hi, mama."

Her mother had the same ebony hair, though hers were spotting some gray. Her mom was her biggest supporter and believed Rin could make something of herself outside of their small town. She even sent her money to help pay for school every two weeks. Now it feels as though her mom wasted all that money when it could've been used for more important things around the house. Why had she let Sesshomaru drive her out of New York? It had been so selfish of her to come back home. It was just that she'd felt so alone and unwanted in her small apartment. She'd laid down in her bed and cried, missing, and hating Sesshomaru, then missing her mama, her brothers, and even her dog. It had seemed natural to come home. Now that she'd had a few days to sleep on it, though, she was mad at herself for giving up so easily.

"I'm glad you're up, Rin." Her mom called out. She juggled a paper bag of groceries. "I forgot some other things at the store. You know how I can get. Can you put on some jeans and run back out there for me? I need to start breakfast. Your grandma is coming over later."

"I will, Mama." Rin said, and snapped her fingers to call Sporty over. The dog trotted back to her, and the two women went inside the house. She went into the bathroom to change, and when she got out, she grabbed the keys to the truck and headed out for the store.

Twenty-five minutes later, she pulled back into the driveway of her home to a shiny black sedan with tinted windows in the driveway. Her heart began to drum a frantic beat and she wasn't sure if it was terror or excitement.

It wasn't him . . . was it?

A short man leaned against the side of the sedan. It wasn't Sesshomaru . . . not that she wanted to see him, anyhow. This man was short, coming up to her knees, and from the looks of it, looked like a…imp? Surely this guy was a demon. And he certainly wasn't like her lean, businessman, and snobby demon lord. The imp cast her a look as she pulled up next to him.

She got out of the truck with her grocery bag and gave the imp demon a friendly smile. "Hi, can I help you?"

He gave her a dismissive look. "I'm just waiting on someone."

She frowned, confused. "Are you lost? This is a private drive."

He snorted and shook his head. "Wish to God we were."

That funny feeling began to bubble in her stomach again, but she ignored it and offered her hand. "I'm Rin."

"…Jaken." He said.

Her eyes widened. Oh, no. No, no, no. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think I'm doing here?" There was a wealth of derisiveness in his tone.

"Oh, no." She breathed, and rushed up the steps of the single wide.

When she got into the house, she tore through the kitchen into the dining room. There, sitting next to her two pajama-clad brothers, was Sesshomaru. His hair wasn't hanging down his waist, tied in a long ponytail. He wore a blue suit and he had what appeared to be a long piece of fur around his right shoulder. And he peered at what looked to be a bowl of grits set in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" Rin exclaimed.

"Rin." Her mother said. "Be nice, we have a guest."

"I don't have to be nice to him!"

Sesshomaru got to his feet and stood, hugging a towel-covered hand close to his chest. The sight of that made her heart flip-flop painfully. Had he somehow injured himself? Why did she care, damn it? As he stood, he gave her a sharp nod. "Ms. Noto."

Her brothers looked over at her with wide, unblinking eyes.

Rin handed the bag to her mother and refused to look Sesshomaru in the face. "You need to leave, Mr. Taisho. I'm done being your assistant."

"This gentleman needs a burn talked, Rin." Her mother said in a do-not-argue-with-me voice. "He came here because of that."

Guiltily, she glanced at his hand, still swathed in the towel. She couldn't tell anything from it. How badly had he hurt it? And could she ignore a man in need, even if he was the one who broke her heart and made her feel like she was less than dirt? "All right. Come on." She waved him forward.

"Thank you." He began, but she shot him a scathing look and he stopped. "Right. No thanking."

"Exactly." Without stopping to check if he was following, Rin went out onto the porch and sat down on the first step. A moment later, he eased his body down next to her.

She didn't look over at him, staring off into the distance so she could compose her thoughts. "Nice suit." She said, and was proud of how nonchalant her voice sounded. "What's this over your shoulder?"

"It's a mokomoko-sama." He said.

"A what?"

"It is the fur and tail of my true form."

She turned to face him. "True form?"

"Yes. I do not usually look like this. This my humanoid form. My true form is a giant white dog. Hence the fur on my shoulder is from that." He explained.

Wow. She just figured he always looked like this. But hearing his actual form is a giant dog, kind of had her intrigued a bit. Shaking her head, she got back to the matter at hand. "All right, show me the hand."

He held out his wrapped hand to her, his gaze intent on her face.

She took the bandaged hand in hers, holding it gingerly so she wouldn't hurt him worse than he already was. "Okay." She murmured softly. "You know how this works. Whatever you do, you can't thank me for this."

"Very well." He said in a voice so soft that it made shivers go up and down her skin.

She held the thick wrappings for a moment. "Talk to me about the pain." The first step was always to get the person talking and concentrating on telling her what was wrong.

"It is with me day and night." He said in a low voice. "It will not go away no matter how much I try to distract myself. And I keep saying it is my own fault, but somehow, it does not help things. All I know is that you are the only person who can fix it for me."

"Mmm." She gently took the wrappings and began to undo them, ignoring the flutter of her heart at his words. "What did you do?"

"I was an idiot and was not paying attention to where I should have placed my hand."

It was hard being so close to him, she realized. She could smell the clean, spicy scent of him, could feel the warmth of his big body next to hers, and felt the heat of his golden gaze on her face. Her stupid body remembered his touch, though. Her nipples reacted, hardening under her bra, and she wanted to hunch her shoulders in the hopes that he wouldn't notice. This man had been terrible to her, so why was she still attracted to him?

She pulled the last of the fabric free and was surprised to see his hand was curled into a fist. She put her fingers on his and began to gently uncurl them. "Sesshomaru, you really should relax your hand if you've hurt it—"

He flattened his hand and revealed perfect skin. On his palm, he'd written in bold letters, **This hand is the property of Rin**.

She frowned down at it, then looked up at him. "I don't understand. You're not hurt?" Why was she so relieved? And confused?

Sesshomaru's face was solemn as he gazed down at her. "I'm an idiot, Rin. An unthinking dolt who hurt your feelings over and over again. I should have held your hand when you asked me to, and then maybe you wouldn't have assumed the worst when you saw those tabloids."

She shook her head, releasing his hand as if she was the one scorched. "I don't understand. How did you—"

"The driver explained a lot to me, and I found the magazine. It was easy to put two and two together." He said gently. "I never flirted with Princess Sara. I never flirted with anyone but you. Hell, I'm not even sure I flirted with you, because I'm truly rotten at it. I came here to ask you to come back with me, and to offer you this." He held his hand out to her again, and she stared at the words written on his hand. "It is yours whenever you want it."

Rin had a sudden vision of taking his hand and smacking him in his own face with it. She jumped off the porch step quickly, trying to distance herself from him. "You were awful to me. Being constantly mean to me. Plus, you made me feel like I was never good enough for you! You kept trying to change me!"

He stood, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "I was." He agreed. "I was cruel to you and I should not have been. When Kagome sent you to me, I hated you on sight because you were everything I disliked. You were dressed poorly, human, and I thought I deserved better. That I needed to have the best at my side.

"This is not making me feel better."

"Just listen." He said, and there was a desperate note in his voice that made her stop. "I kept you on because I was stuck."

"And because I could tie a tie."

"That, too." A hint of a smile flashed on his face and then he reached for his collar and tugged at it uncomfortably. "And after a few days of spending time with you, my initial dislike changed."

"To hate?"

"No." He said very softly. "I saw that the terrible clothes you wore hid a very large heart and a woman determined to do what was best for her family, even if it was not what was best for her. And I saw a woman who was completely out of her depth but went out of her way to make everyone around her comfortable and happy. From the staff in the kitchens, to the hotel workers, to photographers and drivers and to me, when I did not deserve it. You were nice to everyone, Rin. And you were genuinely delighted to be on the trip, even though I was treating you like you did not deserve to be there. And you took all of my abuse because you knew the money would help your family, but I think you also took it because you are a genuinely nice person, no matter how much I tried to beat it out of you."

She said nothing, simply scuffed her shoe and stared down at it so he wouldn't see the tears welling in her eyes.

"And no matter how much I tried to change you, that remained the same, Rin. That you had an unfettered joy in life and all the people who surround you, and it made me realize that I needed some of that joy in my life, too. And it didn't matter how you were dressed. Not anymore. In fact, when I kept changing your clothes and your hair, I kept feeling vaguely unsatisfied with the results, and now I know why."

"Oh?" She shifted, arms crossed over her chest protectively. She felt a little uneasy at his words. Was he setting her up for another fall?

To her surprise, he leaned forward and touched the hair brushing her shoulders. "I love this unkempt hair of yours. To me, it embodies everything about you. It is a bit wild and carefree, but so full of light and sunshine that you cannot help but cherish the sight of it. It is untamed, and it should always be so."

His hand in her hair was distracting her, as were his words. She trembled. "What are you saying?"

"I am saying I love your frizzy hair. I love your sweet, innocent voice and how you want to go do your faith healing on everyone you meet. I love that you listen to me ramble about my work and never tell me that I am boring you. I love that you never ask me about my money, or if you can spend time with other high ranking people. And I know that it is because those things do not matter to you nearly as much as I do. That I'm a person to you, not just a title or a wallet. And that is something that I have never been to anyone in Japan." His eyes were then serious. "And that is why I am falling in love with you."

And he extended his hand back out to her. **This hand is the property of Rin.**

She stared at it, thinking. Then she looked up at him. Sesshomaru stood in front of her, utterly stiff. His collar was askew from tugging on it, and he looked incredibly uncomfortable. She didn't take his hand. She didn't know if she was ready for that.

He seemed to realize this, too. Slowly, it curled up and he dropped it to his side. "It's funny." He said in a soft voice. "When you are a member of high ranking and society, you do not expect to have to work for anyone's affection. It is a given that it will automatically be granted. I have never had to work at convincing anyone to like me before. I . . . I am not very good at it." He sounded disgusted with himself. "And I wish I knew the right thing to say, or do to convince you of my sincerity."

For some reason, that rueful confession convinced her more than his declaration of love. Rin looked up at him and gave him a faint smile. "Would you kiss the dog?"

"Pardon?" He tilted his head, as if he wasn't sure he'd heard her correctly.

"My hound, Sporty. Would you kiss him to prove to me that you love me?"

He inclined his head at her, oh so gracefully. "If I must."

She put her fingers in her mouth and whistled. "Sporty!"

The dog galloped out of the house and toward her, all flying ears, cheeks, and ropes of slobber. He stopped in front of her and she knelt to rub him with affection. "Hey Sporty." She cooed. "This man is going to give you a nice kiss, okay, boy?"

"He is quite a . . . leaky fellow."

She giggled at that. "He's a hound. They tend to drool."

"So I see." And to her surprise, he bent down and kissed the top of the dog's head. Then, he straightened with a grimace. "I had rather be kissing you."

"I see that." Oh God, she should be given a medal for managing to contain her laughter.

"Am I forgiven?"

"I haven't decided. I might need you to kiss a chicken next."

He looked resigned. "How does one even kiss a chicken?"

"Very carefully." She said, and got to her feet, dusting her hands off on her jeans. "You'd do that for me?"

"If that is what it takes to convince you of my earnestness, I shall kiss every bit of fowl you place in front of me." His tone was so austere and sincere.

Her giggles escaped. "Why can't I stay mad at you?"

"Because a man who kisses a slobbery dog simply to make his woman smile is a pathetic figure indeed?" He attempted to put a smile in his voice, but his face remained somber. "Rin, I'm so sorry I hurt your feelings. I truly am awful at showing affection properly, especially when everyone expects me to act like a true man of high society. It's like I'm supposed to act how other high ranking individuals should be. But Akira broke the mold, and I can, too." He reached out and touched her hand. "I can assure you that I never, ever encouraged Princess Sara or anyone else. That was simply tabloids making up rubbish to sell papers."

His words were so fervent that she knew they were the truth. No matter her wounded feelings, she had to stop and think rationally. The man had grown up with different customs. He was a two thousand and plus demon after all. Plus, he admitted himself he wasn't very affectionate towards anyone before. So how could she expect him to be wildly affectionate towards her? Were all high ranking demons like that? It seemed even Akira was reserved around Lance, and he was her fiancé. Actually, she supposed that the two were married now. Though Lance seemed so doting towards Akira that Rin was sure he would open her up and be affectionate towards her. She smiled at that.

At her smile, Sesshomaru seemed to relax a little. "Please tell me you do not hate me anymore."

"I don't hate you anymore." She agreed, and took his hand in hers and gave it a little squeeze.

He looked a little disgruntled at that. "I rather hoped I would be showered with kisses upon my declaration of love."

She laughed at his disgusted tone. "I thought you high ranking demons didn't like shows of affection?"

"That is not true. My father and Inuyasha show the women in their lives so much affection it is almost sickening. I already told you before I do not show affection, though I would be willing to soldier through for your sake."

She snorted.

"Come back with me." He said softly, and tugged her closer to him. "Let me show you my home in New York City and how dull and boring of a bachelor I am."

"Are you a boring bachelor?"

"I am. My home is full of books and not a single thing to entice a woman at all." He gave her a rueful look. "And I can lure you with promises of conversation about my past history and my latest projects up until the early hours of the morning."

She pretended to consider this. "Can I bring my knitting?"

"Absolutely. I would recommend you have something at hand to keep you busy while I bore you to death."

"You're never boring." Rin said softly, and her gaze flicked to his mouth. "Not to me."

"That's why you are perfect." He pulled her in closer, his mouth angling toward hers.

She pressed her fingers to his lips, stopping him before he could kiss her. "So . . . now what? I've forgiven you, but I left New York. It's hard to get a job there for a girl like me with no degree yet. I lost my scholarship and loans and have no way to pay for my remaining classes. Plus I have nowhere to live."

"You will come live with me." He said immediately. "If you want to go back and finish school, I will pay for it. But I do not want you to work. I want you at my side every day."

She shook her head. "And be dependent on you for everything? No way."

"Then be my equerry. My assistant. My body servant." He suggested wickedly at her at the last sentence.

She snorted again and shook her head. "You already have an assistant."

"Yes, and he has never cut my meat for me once." He gave her a soulful look full of pleading. "Say you will return with me. I can always use another assistant. I seem to recall someone telling me how incredibly helpless I was."

"You are rather helpless." She admitted, fingering the golden tie, loosely around his neck. "Do all your assistants live with you?"

"Jaken does." He admitted. "But my home is very large, and he lives on the other side of the house."

"And me?"

"I want you closer to me."

"Until we break up? And then what do I do?" She shook her head. "It's too risky."

"I will pay you a hundred thousand dollars a year to be an assistant to me. And I will sign a contract stating that if we do break up, I will grant you another hundred thousand dollars as severance pay. I do not want you to worry about money when you are with me."

The money made her eyes widen, but she shook her head. "I feel like you're trying to buy my affection."

"If that is the only way I can get it, then that is what I will take." His arms tightened around her. "Rin, please, come back to me." He wagged his eyebrows in an obvious fashion. "I have an entire bag of purloined hotel soaps and shampoos with your name on them."

She smiled, but still hesitated.

The look in his eyes became intense. "Please. I need you."

It was those three little words that decided her. _I need you._ How long had she waited for him to admit such a thing? "I'll let you hire me . . . on two conditions."

"Anything."

"If you want to help me with my schooling, I will accept the help. However, I will treat the money as a regular loan and make payments until it is cleared."

"Alright."

"And second, I'm only going to be your employee until I can trust you not to break my heart again." She gave him a small, trembling smile. "When I'm comfortable with you again, I'll quit because I know I can trust you, and I don't want things between us to be about money."

"Done. All done. Whatever you want, it is done."

"Then I guess you have another assistant." She breathed, and leaned in.

He kissed her so fiercely that her toes curled, and she clung to his suit jacket. His tongue slicked against her own in a possessive dance, and Rin was left gasping and breathless when he released her.

"I guess I'd better tell everyone that I'm moving back to New York City."

"Good." Said Sesshomaru, just as breathless as her. His gaze devoured her. "Very good."


	15. Chapter 15

BlueMoon Goddess: Okay guys, here's the continuation from last chapter! And expect something a little lemony in this chapter as well.

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.

* * *

A few hours later, Rin had said her goodbyes to her mama, grandma, and brothers, packed her small bag, played with Sporty and said goodbye to the cute dog, and they were out the door, heading to New York City.

Once they were back on his jet, Jaken sat at the front of the plane with a drink and a magazine. "I'll be here in case you need me." He said in an obedient voice, then put on a pair of headphones.

'That was odd.' Rin thought as she held Sesshomaru's hand and headed to the back seats on the plane. "Why was he being so weird?"

Sesshomaru sat in one large leather seat, and then pulled her down into his lap. "He thinks we are going to have a make-out session in the back of the plane, I suppose." He dragged his arms around her and pulled her closer, running his hands along her back and thigh as if he couldn't get enough of touching her.

She leaned in and took his lower lip between her teeth, biting it lightly and enjoying the shiver she felt rock through his body. "Then I suppose we shouldn't disappoint him?"

His groan of response was deliciously gratifying to hear. "There is a room in the back of the plane."

"Does it have condoms?"

He groaned again. "I hope that it does."

"Let's go check it out." She murmured against his mouth, and then slid out of his lap. She sashayed the few feet to the back of the plane and opened the door, knowing his eyes were on her every step of the way.

The bedroom at the back of the plane was just as she remembered it. There was a full-size bed on the one side and a mirror on the wall behind it. On the other side of the small room was a desk with a chair, and a door that led to the bathroom.

She headed for the bathroom and heard him shut the door to the room and lock it behind them. Inside the bathroom, there were a number of toiletries, but the thing that interested her the most was the box of condoms under the sink. It looked like the box she'd purchased in Japan, and she turned and held it out to him. "You kept these?"

"How could I not? The driver was giving me such dirty looks for breaking your heart that I took them as a badge of shame." He grimaced at the thought.

She laughed again. "I'm glad you feel bad about that, because I felt worse."

He pulled her against him again and nuzzled her neck. "You should know you are the only one for me."

Her breath caught in her throat. She wanted to believe his words, oh, she did, but she'd been stomped on and hurt too many times by his careless words to believe him wholeheartedly. So for now, she trusted and hoped.

Her fingers stole to Sesshomaru's long silver ponytail. "This is a different look for you."

"Jaken was surprised with it." He murmured against her neck. "He did not say it, but I believe he does not care for it this way."

"I think you look nice with your hair tied. However I might have to agree with him…" She said, reaching up and pulling the tie from his long hair. Watching it flow down his waist. "I like your hair free as well. That way I can run my fingers through it." She then scratched at his scalp.

He groaned. "That feels wonderful."

She shushed him with a giggle. "You're going to have to be quieter if you don't want him listening in."

He stiffened, shooting an anxious look back toward the front cabin. "I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable with him sitting right out there—"

She gave him a mock pout, and her hand slid down to the front of his slacks. "I grew up in a small house. I think if anyone knows how to be quiet when making out, it's me."

He frowned back at her. "Who exactly were you making out with—"

She kissed him to shut him up. And he kissed her back. Oh, she loved kissing him so much. No one kissed quite like him. There was an unadulterated hunger to his mouth, as if he feared everything would be ripped away in the next instant and so he had to devour her while he could. She loved that singular intensity of him and suspected he'd be like that in bed, too. She couldn't wait to find out.

Her hand rubbed at his groin again, feeling the thick length of it under her fingers. "Now." She murmured, stroking him when she paused. "Did you want to make out back here with your new assistant? Because she's pretty demanding."

His eyes were glazed with passion. "Oh?"

"Very. . . ." Stroke. "Demanding . . ." Stroke.

He groaned again, this time louder, and she kissed his mouth to quiet him, pleased by the fact that her tightly controlled man was not quite so controlled in the bedroom.

"Want to know what I demand?" She asked.

He nodded, unable to form words.

"Your tongue . . ." Stroke. "All over my body." Stroke. "And then I'll do the same to you." Stroke. "How does that sound?"

"Incredible." He breathed, his dazed expression warming her heart.

"Then let's go check out that bed, shall we?" And she reluctantly slid her hand away from his front and left the tiny bathroom.

He followed her out, his hand touching her back, her arm, as if reluctant to let her leave him for one moment. And that was rather gratifying and sweet, all at once. She felt a surge of affection for him. This lonely, isolated man who didn't know how to ask for affection, but basked in her attentions. She would be sure to be careful with his heart.

Rin turned around to give Sesshomaru a sweet smile and to tell him how much she cared for him, but his mouth landed on hers. His hand at her neck, holding her close, and she forgot all about being careful with anyone or anything. His desire devoured her own, and when the kiss deepened, her knees got weak. She'd never been quite so affected by a kiss as she had by his. Her hands clawed at his clothing, and she felt a sudden desperate need to feel his skin against hers.

"Clothes off." She panted.

"You first." He told her. "You said you wanted my tongue all over your body and I aim to comply. Now, get undressed for me."

A shiver moved over her and she nodded, pulling at her T-shirt. So much for staying in control. He'd quickly taken over again and she'd willingly given up control to him. With a quick movement, she tugged her shirt over her head, and then undid her jeans, slipping out of them and kicking them aside. Then she stood before him in nothing but an old bra and panties that had both seen better days.

She grimaced, imagining how it must look to his eyes. "I left all the clothes you bought for me back at the hotel. All I have is this old stuff—"

"You are beautiful." He told her softly, and kissed her mouth with infinite tenderness. "Even if you wore rags, you would be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. Before you, I never found camouflage erotic, and now I get hard at the sight."

Tears pricked her eyes and she gave him a soft smile. "You're just saying that to get into my pants."

"I am in your pants." He told her. "But I mean what I say. I love you, Rin, and to me, you are the most wondrous creature I have ever seen."

She gave a small sigh of pleasure at hearing him say that. This was the man she'd fallen for. She was terrified to think about what might happen. What if they were just words? What if a man like Sesshomaru's didn't know how to love? She worried it was all another misunderstanding, but kept those thoughts to herself. To distract him from her silence, she removed her bra and panties.

"Utterly beautiful." He said reverently, stroking his fingers up her arm. "Like my own personal Venus." Those fingertips moved across her shoulder and collarbone, lightly tracing her skin. "I am the luckiest man alive."

Her hands fluttered as she put them on his dress shirt, her desire making her pulse and ache between her legs. "Are you going to get naked with me?"

"Eventually." He said, and his hand trailed between her breasts. "First, I want to get my fill of looking at you."

So she stood in front of him, trembling, as he let his fingertips explore over her body. They glided and grazed over her breasts, circling the tips. They moved down the gentle curve of her belly, traced along the lines of her hipbones. They moved between her legs and lightly grazed over the damp curls of her arousal, and she sucked in a breath, hoping for those fingers to push between her legs and open her for him.

But instead, he knelt before her and tenderly kissed the skin just above her mound. "So beautiful."

She was practically vibrating with desire. "Sesshomaru." She murmured, voice husky. "If you don't throw me down on this bed and make love to me, so help me—"

He ignored her and pressed his face inward, lightly nuzzling at the curls of her sex with his mouth, and she felt the tip of his tongue graze her clit.

A high-pitched gasp escaped her throat, and her knees buckled slightly. Only his hands on her hips kept her upright. "Oh."

"Lay down." He said. "I want to put my mouth on you."

She did, finding the edge of the bed and sitting on it with trembling legs. Then, as she laid back, she watched as he slowly, methodically undid the buttons on his dress shirt and then tossed it to the floor, revealing an undershirt tucked into his slacks and those muscular arms. She gave a sigh of pleasure at the sight of that.

"My beautiful, lovely Rin." He murmured, leaning down over her on the bed. He crawled over her, and while she lay flat on the bed under him, he gently kissed her brow, then her cheekbones, and continued on across her face, paying homage to every feature. He nipped at her chin in a way that made her nipples tighten even more, and she shifted, almost panting with desire. Strange how these sweet, thoughtful kisses were more erotic than anything she'd ever experienced in her life.

He kissed his way across her shoulders and on to her breasts, gently taking the tip of each one into his mouth and lightly sucking and teasing at the tip until she was biting back her moans of pleasure. Her hands raked through his hair over and over again, and her back raised off the bed each time his mouth clasped over a nipple. It felt so good…she wanted more, and she ached deep inside for him.

Then his mouth lightly traced down her belly, and his tongue dipped into her navel, circling it and giving her hints of what was to come. "Oh, God…Sesshomaru." She breathed.

"Do you know it makes me hard every time I hear you say my name like that?" He murmured, but continued down his path. "I nearly come undone each time. It's like I picture your tongue curling over your words, and then I imagine it curling over the head of my cock."

Oh, wow, he was a talker in bed. This was destroying her. Her hands fisted in the blankets and she panted, silently begging for him to give her more.

"Ah." He said after a moment, as if he'd discovered something pleasurable, and her breath exploded as her imagination did. "You are very wet for me, aren't you, Rin?"

She nodded, not trusting her voice, and a small whimper escaped her throat.

His fingers parted her flesh, and she felt his mouth on her folds a moment later, tongue sliding up and down the damp center of her. "You taste as beautiful as you look." He whispered, and then his mouth went to her clit. His tongue brushed over it, and then he sucked on it, teasing it with his lips.

A tremor wracked through her, growing in intensity. He continued to tongue and suck at her clit, not budging now that he'd found just where she wanted him to be, and the intensity built, exploding behind her eyes. To her stunned surprise, she came in a quick, violent burst, her fingers clawing at his scalp even as her legs spasmed and her heels dug into the bed.

"Oh." She breathed. "Oh. Oh, God. Oh, Sesshomaru."

When he'd wrung the last shudders out of her, he lifted his head, lips gleaming from her wetness, and there was a smug, satisfied look of pleasure on his gorgeous face, as if he were proud that he'd been able to make her come so hard. Breathless, she watched as he climbed back up next to her and lay down on his side, watching her recover.

The man looked incredibly pleased with himself.

"Need a moment?" He reached out and caressed her breast, thumbing her nipple casually. He looked as if he had all the time in the world now that he'd satisfied her, but she felt the press of him against her leg.

All this casual control? It was an act, and her Sesshomaru was far too good at acting controlled. She wanted to make him wild like he did her. So she rolled onto her hands and knees and gave his shoulder a push, indicating he should lie back on the bed.

His hands moved to cup her dangling breasts, and he made a small sound of pleasure in his throat. "You are incredibly beautiful."

"You've mentioned that once or twice." Rin teased, finding her voice again. She tugged at his undershirt and pulled it up, exposing his flat stomach and the muscles there. She contemplated torturing him in the same way he'd tortured her, endless kisses all over his skin, but his dick was straining his pants, and she knew he was already painfully aroused. He'd expect her to take her time, just like he had.

But she wanted to surprise him.

So she shimmied down the bed a little, away from those delicious hands that played with her breasts and began to unbuckle his pants with quick, easy motions. He reached down to help her and she slapped his hand away. "You're mine now. Now sit back and behave."

He chuckled, but his hands moved away and back to her hair, fingering her curls. He loved touching her hair, so she had to trust him when he'd said he liked it wild and free.

A moment later, she had his pants undone and pushed aside his zipper. He raised his hips so she could slide the clothes down, but she decided on a different tactic, a quicker one. Ripping at the button that held the fly of his boxers closed, she snapped it off and pushed his member through the fabric, exposing it.

"Well, hello again." She murmured at the sight of his erection rising up, the crown thick and glistening. "So nice to see you." And she grasped the base of his cock and took the head of him into her mouth.

Sesshomaru immediately stiffened on the bed, his entire body going taut. Her tongue swirled around the head, then lightly traced the underside of the crown, exploring him. He was nice and thick, and she was a greedy woman because she loved that he was. She wanted all of him, and just handling him like this was making her ache deep between her legs. She couldn't wait to feel him deep inside her. Anticipating this, she opened her jaw and took him deeper, sucking hard.

He nearly came off the bed. "Oh, hell, Rin—"

She groaned with pleasure at his response, the rumble in her throat sending another shiver through his body. So she continued to deep throat him, letting her mouth get good and wet as she slid him against the back of her tongue and took him deeper into her throat. She knew she was doing well when his hips rose to meet her stroking mouth, and his hand fisted in her hair, as if he were trying desperately not to shove deeper.

He pulled her off him a moment later, panting. "No, wait—"

She mewed a protest, trying to pull him back into her mouth.

"Condoms." He demanded, and rolled off the bed, heading to find them.

She waited for him on the bed, aching and full of need, and he returned a moment later, fingers hastily tearing the box open, his dick jutting out of his opened pants and boxers. She couldn't help but reach for him again, and he groaned, pulling away from her and extricating himself from his clothing. He had trouble with the boxers and ended up ripping them off, the fabric tearing loud in the room. Sesshomaru didn't look like he cared, though. His hair was a bit messy from having her hands in it, and his cheeks were slightly flushed with the intensity of what they were doing. Plain and simple, he was gorgeous.

He rolled on the condom and grabbed for her. He sat at the edge of the bed and then patted his knee. "Come sit in my lap." His member jutted up, indicating just where she should sit.

Rin swung a leg over him, and his hands immediately went to her hips to hold her. With his hands guiding her, she slid down his front and seated herself, oh so slowly, atop him. The push into her body made her breath suck in, and she immediately tensed her muscles, clinging to his shoulders. He was bigger than her last lover, and his dick burned a little as it went in, but he felt delicious. "Sesshomaru." She moaned.

"Rin." He groaned in response. "Sweet, beautiful Rin." And he sank her down completely on him.

She cried out, only to have her cry smothered by his kiss. This position allowed her entire body to rub up against his, and she locked her legs around his waist. Her breasts brushed against his chest, and his arm at her waist held her tightly in place.

And he kissed her. Oh, God, he kissed her so deeply and thoroughly that she felt penetrated all over again. Her mind was in a daze, and she whimpered when he bucked his hips and it made everything rock just a little bit deeper.

"Mine." He murmured, rocking his hips again, and then he began a motion she wasn't entirely sure was legal, his hips moving back and forth even as she rocked her own to increase the friction. Her clit was rubbing against his groin, her nipples were brushing on his chest, and his mouth kept licking and slicking at her own.

It was the most erotic thing she'd ever felt. She'd never had sex like this before, sitting atop of someone and letting him fuck her upright. It made everything so very intimate. His motions were slow and controlled, but she couldn't seem to control her hips. She thrust down on him as hard as she could, enjoying his little groans of response. Her own body was trembling, and she felt her sex tightening in response as another orgasm began to build. Her nails dug into his skin and her kisses took on a frantic edge, even as he began to thrust harder into her, encouraging that build.

She felt it in her entire body when she came that time, everything trembling and tightening around him so hard that she knew he felt it, even if she didn't make a sound. His groan of response told her everything. Then, he lay back on the bed and rolled over swiftly, and she was pinned underneath him. Before she could question, he pulled back and thrust deep and rough into her.

She gasped, stunned at how good that felt. When he did it again, faster and rougher than before, the force of his motions shoved her across the bed a little, and his skin slapped at her own. But she clung to him, loving every second of it. "Sesshomaru." She moaned softly. "Oh, Sesshomaru."

"I love you." He gritted out, the words ragged. "Love you, Rin." And he came, dragging her name out as if it were a benediction.

She curled her arms around him and gave a long sigh of contentment as he shuddered and quaked in her arms, lost in his own orgasm. When he finally pulled off her, she made a sound of protest as their bodies separated. She didn't want him to leave her ever again. A moment later, he returned to the bed and curled around her naked body, pulling her against him. She snuggled in his arms, content.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: Well there you have, the lemon you all were waiting for. Also, next chapter is the last chapter guys. It happened so fast, huh? But be on the look-out for it within the coming weeks. Until next time! ^_^


	16. Chapter 16

BlueMoon Goddess: Alright guys, the final chapter for this story is here! I want to say thank you all who favored, followed, and reviewed. I'm very happy you all enjoyed this story, so let's get on and see the conclusion of this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or 'Once upon a Billionaire' by Jessica Claire.

Summary: To attend a wedding for a respectable family, Sesshomaru needed an assistant. Unfortunately he got stuck with Rin, a young woman who knows nothing about high society and a human to boot. Though through her eyes, he's starting to appreciate the simple things in life, and maybe even grow feeling for the human woman as well.

* * *

Rin was delighted at Sesshomaru's house because it was so incredibly him. She wasn't entirely sure what she'd been expecting, but at the sight of the wall-to-wall shelves, the antique maps framed on the walls, and the piles and piles of books everywhere, she clapped her hands and laughed. "It's perfect."

"It is?" He looked at her in surprise, and eyed his home skeptically, as if trying to see it through her eyes.

"It is." She echoed, when he closed the door. "It looks exactly like I'd imagine a businessman like yourself would live."

He rubbed his jaw, and for a moment he looked embarrassed. "I suppose it does. I only have six bedrooms, one is set up as a library and the other is an office."

"Six bedrooms in New York?" She laughed. "Not exactly slumming it, Sesshomaru."

He moved a pile of books off one table, hesitated, and then dumped them onto another table. "I admit though, I did downgrade a bit. My older home had ten bedrooms plus a guest house."

She smiled, still charmed by the place. There were windows looking out onto vast amounts of greenery, bookshelves everywhere, hardwood floors, high ceilings, and not to mention the gorgeous chandelier. The entire place screamed of someone with elegance and great taste. She loved it already. "There's no point in a huge house if there's only two people for it." She picked up a book and frowned at the layer of dust on it, then looked at him. "Don't you clean?"

"I keep busy enough that I do not do much cleaning. However, I do have people who come in once a week to clean up."

"You're lucky you got a second assistant, then." She teased.

"I did not hire you to clean my house."

"No, you hired me to clean your pipes."

He was silent. She looked up in surprise . . . and found that his face was scarlet with a blush. She laughed. "Come on, haven't you ever heard that expression?"

"Not in reference to me." He rubbed his ear, and she noticed that it was also red. How cute.

"Is your bedroom full of books, too?"

"There's room enough for two people." He said, and she noticed the dazed look had returned to his eyes. He adjusted himself surreptitiously. "Shall I show you?"

That sounded lovely.

* * *

Three days later, Sesshomaru was the happiest he'd ever been. He had Rin in his bed, he was back home in his luxurious house, and everything was perfect. Well, almost perfect. His house was currently being turned upside down by her, who was determined to organize things, but overall, he was content. He had the woman he loved in his bed, and he adored her every night for hours. Sometimes several times in one night. Just thinking about his Rin made his dick stiffen, and he got up from his window chair, setting his book aside to go find her.

He found her in the small living room, seated on the floor, cross-legged. She wore her ugly camo pajamas, but he found the sight charming now instead of appalling. She turned off the TV as soon as he came in the room, the smile she turned to him was overly bright. "Hey, you."

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. You want a snack or something? I was just about to get one—"

As she moved to pass him, he snagged the remote out of her hand and flicked the TV back on. It was a news special about Akira Soto and Lance Salvatore's wedding. He gave Rin a curious look. "Didn't get enough of it back in Japan?"

She shrugged, not meeting his gaze. "I didn't really see the wedding itself. I was just . . . curious, I suppose." She patted his shoulder and headed toward the kitchen.

He swore silently to himself when he saw Princess Sara Asano appear on the TV.

It seemed she had some doubts. He could sense it, and he could tell she was still unsure if he would hurt her again, she was uneasy. He also recognized the look on her face. It was the look she'd worn so often in Japan after he'd hurt her feelings. Guarded, wary… expecting to be hurt at any moment.

He groaned and rubbed his face in frustration. What the hell was he going to do to prove to her that he loved her? To make her feel safe and comfortable with him? He'd told her that he loved her a dozen times a day. She'd never once said it back. He kept waiting and hoping that she'd relax, become more at ease around him, and then she'd realize that she felt as strongly for him as he did for her. But holding back her "I love you" seemed to be some sort of armor for her. That as long as she didn't expose herself fully, she could still escape him unscathed.

He wasn't planning on letting her go, though.

Frustrated, he listened to her putter around in the kitchen. He went in and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm going to do some work."

"All right." She said, and her voice was a little too bright again. "I'm going to straighten up in here."

He retreated back to his office, and instead of heading for the papers on his desk, he picked up his phone. He stared at the screen for a moment, thinking. He could call and ask his father for advice, but then it would lead to a bunch of questions he didn't really want to answer at the moment. So he called Kagome, especially since she already gave good advice before. However, when he called it went to voicemail. Damn. He didn't want to leave a lovesick message, so he tried the one other person he could think of. Inuyasha.

"Hello?" The hanyou answered, on the other end.

"Are you busy at the moment?" Sesshomaru asked him.

"Yea I'm free at the moment. What's the problem?"

Sesshomaru thought for a moment. "I need advice…woman advice."

"Oh, shit, hell must've frozen over. Great Lord Sesshomaru is asking me on advice about women." Inuyasha laughed on the other end.

"Piss off. I would have called Kagome but she did not pick up."

"That's because she's resting at the moment and I turned her phone on silent." He paused for a moment. "Anyway, your advice is probably dealing with Rin, right?"

"Yes. I asked her to move in with me, but she's not happy."

"Why isn't she happy? I thought everything was fine between the two of you." Kagome had gotten a call from Rin the moment she came to New York. And of course, Kagome told Inuyasha.

"Well she's not happy. She's trying to be, but I do not think she trusts me completely."

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked.

"The true reason why Rin left before was because she thought I was hiding her because I was embarrassed."

"And were you?"

"Originally? Yes." Sesshomaru answered.

"Ouch, man."

"Piss off. Again." Maybe it had been a bad call to go to Inuyasha for advice. But hell, he was desperate. "You know I am not good with this emotion stuff."

"Yea, I know. Are you still hiding her?"

"Of course not. She moved in, and Jaken thinks she's very nice."

"No one gives a shit what Jaken thinks. I meant, did you make her feel welcome?"

Oh. He hadn't even thought about it. "You mean like introducing her to father and your mother?"

"Exactly. I mean it's been a while since she came back and you haven't brought her around everyone. But look, I'm not going to tell you what to do here. You do what you feel is right okay."

Sesshomaru didn't know what to say. "I . . . see."

"And one more thing."

"What's that?"

"If you love her, I mean really, really love her, you gotta move heaven and earth to show her that you love her. Because if you don't, you're going to lose her. And then life isn't worth living. I'm sure you already know how that feels though?"

He didn't respond, because he really did know how it felt. But it had him thinking. Did Rin think that he wasn't taking her seriously? Was it time to do more? Be more demonstrative? He made love to her every night. Told her he loved her several times a day. They went for long walks in Central Park together, holding hands, even going out to dinner in a fancy restaurant. If that wasn't love, he didn't know what was. But maybe she needed bigger gestures. Something that she couldn't dispute in the slightest.

"Yo, you still there?" Inuyasha asked on the other end.

He thought for a moment more, and then said. "I think I know what to do." He said, then hung up. If he wanted to show Rin that he was serious, then he definitely knew what he had to do.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Rin asked, craning her neck so she could see out the window. "And whose house is this?"

"It's a surprise." He told her.

She gave him a wary look and a nervous smile. "I'm not sure I like surprises." Her hand smoothed down her pale yellow sweater, and she fingered the jeans she was wearing, as if silently wondering if she was wearing the right clothing.

"You're fine." He soothed. "There is no need to worry."

"Easy for you to say." She said, and then looked out the window once more. "I've never seen a house this huge house, it's ridiculous."

"It is." He agreed. "It's bigger than some of the estates in Japan."

"Whoa." She breathed as the house came into sight. "That is some house."

She clung to his hand when they pulled into the driveway. He nodded at Jaken and gestured for him to park the car. Then, Sesshomaru exited the car and held out his hand for Rin to take. She did, and they went up the expanse of stairs hand in hand.

When they got to the door, it opened and a beaming Kagome greeted them, surprising Rin. "Hey you two! Come on in, we were just waiting on you."

"Oh, waiting for wait?" Rin asked, but her hand still clung tightly to Sesshomaru's and she didn't follow Kagome in.

"You'll see." She gave Sesshomaru an exaggerated wink that made him want to strangle her, and then headed further into the house. "Come on. We're all out in the dining room."

They followed her through the maze of the house, Rin exclaiming under her breath at the size of the place. He knew the house was intimidating, but now he was questioning the wisdom of this place. He wanted her to feel warmed and welcomed, not more isolated and out of place than ever. So he squeezed her hand. She looked at him, surprised, and then gave him a grateful smile and squeezed his hand back.

In the dining room, there was Inuyasha and two people she didn't recognize, sitting around a table full of food. He immediately felt Rin stiffen, but he put his arm around her shoulders and gently steered her in. "Rin." He told her. "I want you to meet my father, Inutaisho Takahashi, my stepmother, Izayoi Takahashi, and of course you already know Inuyasha."

As he introduced her, both Inutaisho and Izayoi were very welcoming to Rin, and very happy to finally meet the special woman in Sesshomaru's life. Rin responded with a warm smile and seemed so comfortable with them, that Sesshomaru knew this had been a good idea.

It was so obvious now. Taking her to his father's house for the weekly dinner seemed like the most reasonable thing in the world. Showing her that she belonged with him was such a small thing, but he could see from the glow on her cheeks that she was happy. He should have thought of it sooner, rather than see her mope for a week.

He grabbed them both glasses of champagne and pressed one into her hand. She took it from him, smiling but puzzled. "This looks like you guys are about to have dinner."

"We are. It is our weekly family dinner."

"Family dinner?"

He looked at the people in the room, then back at her. "I have something I want to tell you."

Her eyes widened and he saw the uncertainty flash across her face again, though she did her best to hide it. "Oh?"

Sesshomaru soldiered on. "First of all, you know I love you—"

"Oh, I don't believe." Inuyasha interrupted. "Mr. Not-show-his-emotions is starting to get sappy."

Kagome shushed him.

He shot a scathing look at Inuyasha, and then turned back to Rin. He took her hand in his and noticed it was trembling. "Rin, I brought you here to show you that I love and care for you very much." He paused, then exhaled slowly. "And if I have not showed you that enough, then you being here at this family dinner should be."

"Sesshomaru…" She said, her voice wavering a bit.

He smiled at her. "There's something else I have for you as well."

Her brows drew down again. "There's more?"

"No." He looked over at Kagome.

She smiled and hurried forward, her loose blouse just barely hinting at her rounded pregnant stomach. She disappeared down the hall and returned with a small silver tray and a man at her side, who held a camera.

Sesshomaru watched Rin trying to figure it out, frowning to herself. He took the box from Kagome, and then turned to Rin. The box was velvet and oblong and she'd probably recognize the shape, inside it were the Taisho Emeralds. "You wore these once before, at the ball in Japan."

Her smile was small, puzzled. "I remember."

"There's another piece that goes with this set, though, and I want you to have it."

And he opened the box and pulled out a ring. It wasn't the most elegant or dainty of rings. Like the rest of the emeralds, it was very old, square cut, and surrounded by tiny diamonds. It was a beautiful piece.

Rin's eyes widened into saucers, just as the camera flashed in her face.

"I . . ." She stared at the ring. "What is this, Sesshomaru?"

"That…" He said, gesturing at the photographer. "Is a man working on a news article to send home to Japan about you and I." He looked back at her, and then dropped to one knee. "Rin . . ."

"Oh." She breathed, frozen in place in front of him.

"I know I have been an idiot." He began.

"Glad to hear him admit it." He heard Inuyasha mutter in the background.

Sesshomaru ignored him. "And I know you worry that I think you are not good enough for me. So I wanted you to know how much I value you. These people in this room are the only people that have ever mattered to me. And now, you have become another person who has mattered." He held the ring out to her. "And you are the most beautiful, most worthy woman I have ever met and I never considered offering anyone this ring until I met you. Will you do me the honor of being my wife and marry me?"

She hesitated, looking at the photographer. "Why is he here again?"

Sesshomaru leaned in and mock-whispered, "Because your face is going to be splashed on a dozen Japanese papers as the American who captured a demon lord and one of the richest businessmen in the world. I do hope you do not mind the invasion of privacy, but I wanted people to know that we were getting married, because I am rather proud of my woman."

Her face blossomed into a beautiful smile. She crooked a finger at him in that sexy way that made his heart flip. As he stepped forward, she gave an undignified squeal and jumped into his arms.

* * *

That evening in bed, after everything wound down, Rin curled her fingers in Sesshomaru's happy trail and felt incredibly content. The rock on her finger now meant that she belonged to him and she loved it.

He'd chosen her above everyone else. Her. Simple, small town girl Rin, and she hadn't even been dressed up and elegant. She'd been wearing jeans and a summery short-sleeved sweater, her hair its usual untamed mass. But he hadn't cared. He'd stared down at her with such love in his eyes as he'd draped the jewelry on her and put the ring on her finger, and the photographer had taken so many photos and asked so many questions that her head had been spinning. And he'd done it in front of his family. He was trying to show her what she meant to him, and she got it now. She really, really got it.

Her hand slid down to his cock, feathering her fingers over it. They'd just had sex a few minutes ago, but she bet she could get him erect again in no time. "Hey, Sesshomaru?"

"Hmmm?" His voice was deliciously sleepy, his hand stroking through her hair as she rested her cheek on his stomach.

Her hand stroked him again, and she was pleased to see it stir and begin to harden once more. Such a delicious sight. She continued to stroke it, enjoying that he groaned and began to pump into her hand.

"Remember how I told you that I wanted to be your employee until I trusted you? Really trusted you?"

He stilled under her, despite the fact that she was still working him with her hand. "I remember."

"Okay. Well, I quit."

A second later, she found herself flipped onto her back in the bed, and she giggled as he pinned her to the mattress, a wild grin on his face. It was so unlike his normal reserved expression. "You do?"

"I do. I quit…I totally, totally quit." She couldn't stop smiling.

He leaned in and kissed her so fiercely that her lips felt bruised, but she didn't care. "That's wonderful."

She grinned at him. "I think since I'm unemployed, I can focus on school. Maybe even write some short stories or something."

"You can." He agreed. "But can it wait? I would love to take you to Paris next month. It is beautiful during this time of year. And then maybe head to Italy or Spain."

More travel? "That sounds wonderful."

His eyes lit up. "You don't mind traveling? I do quite a bit of it for business, but I can hold off if you would rather stay here and focus on school and a career."

"I can wait on school and writing." She snuggled close to him. "I'd rather spend time with you."

"I love you, Rin. I really do."

"I know you do." She said softly, and her fingers stroked down his cheek. He said he didn't know how to show affection, but she was seeing that he was a fast learner.

He kissed her hand and then reached over her to grab another condom off the side of the bed. Then, he leaned in and kissed her fiercely once more as he slipped it on, and she spread her legs underneath him, waiting in anticipation.

When he thrust inside her, she cried out his name with pleasure.

The sex was quick and brutal. Rin bit and scratched at Sesshomaru's skin as he thrust roughly into her, and his fingers sought her clit to bring her to orgasm just before he came a few moments later. Then, panting, they went back to kissing.

"I love you." She said softly into his ear.

"I love you, too." He murmured. "I'm sorry I was such an idiot to you all those times."

She grinned and bit his earlobe. "You'll just have to make it up to me."

"Mmm, I can think of a few ways." He began to move slowly inside her again.

She could, too. She could think of a million ways.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: And that's the end folks! How did you guys like it? Hopefully everyone was satisfied with the ending. And again, I want to thank everyone who took a great interest in this story. Never knew it would turn out this good! Maybe in the future I'll do another Sesshomaru x Rin fic, maybe, not really sure. But I do have other fics, so check them out on my profile, and until then, see you guys in my next fic! ^_^


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